Το Κλαμπ των Χριστουγέννων

by Becca Freeman, Νέλλα Γιατράκου (Translator)

Η Χάνα και ο Φιν περνούν μαζί τα Χριστούγεννα από τότε που γνωρίστηκαν στο κολέγιο. Όλα αυτά τα χρόνια δεν είχαν πουθενά αλλού να πάνε, αφού οι γονείς της Χάνα πέθαναν και τον Φιν τον αποκήρυξε ο πατέρας του, όταν αποκάλυψε στην οικογένειά του ότι είναι γκέι.

Όταν οι δύο φίλοι ξεκίνησαν την ενήλικη ζωή τους στη Νέα Υόρκη, πρόσθεσαν στην παρέα τη στιλάτη Πρία και τον μυστηριώδη Θίο, δημιουργώντας έτσι μια δική τους οικογένεια και απολαμβάνοντας την αίσθηση του ανήκειν που πάντα λαχταρούσαν.

Όμως αυτά τα Χριστούγεννα μπορεί να είναι τα τελευταία που γιορτάζουν όλοι μαζί, γιατί ο Φιν ανακοινώνει ότι μετακομίζει στο Λος Άντζελες. Η Χάνα φοβάται μήπως χάσει την οικογένεια που έχει φτιάξει και δεν χαίρεται ακόμη κι όταν το αγόρι της, ο Ντέιβιντ, της προτείνει να δουν πιο σοβαρά τη σχέση τους. Ο Φιν από την άλλη παλεύει με τα ανέκφραστα συναισθήματά του για τον Θίο.

Άραγε είναι απαραίτητο να χωρίζεις από τους φίλους που αγαπάς επειδή μεγαλώνεις; Αυτά τα Χριστούγεννα οι αλλαγές που φοβούνται οι φίλοι μπορεί να είναι ακριβώς αυτό που χρειάζονται...

Genres: Christmas, Holiday, Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Book Club, Contemporary

376 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2023

About the author

Becca is the co-host of the hit lifestyle podcast BAD ON PAPER and the author of THE CHRISTMAS ORPHANS CLUB (out now!). Follow on Instagram @beccamfreeman

She's based in Brooklyn, NY

Reviews

[Becca Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic!

I’ve also heard the author is a hilarious, beautiful genius with impeccable penmanship. Pass it on.

But kidding aside, I've worked so hard on this book, am so proud of it, and so grateful to anyone who takes a chance on it! If you're reading this, thank you.

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was alright. I'm backing away from the Christmas books now. I get it. It's not working for me. 😩

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

I never got to this one last year, so I'm cautiously going to try another Christmas book lol. Not many of them have been working for me so far, but I'm hopeful with this one.... Sounds like it's filled with found family goodness. 🥰


This sounds so freaking cute 🥰☃️🎄🔔🎀✨

[emilybookedup · Rating 5 out of 5]

UM HELLO??? I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! am i really rating a Christmas book 5-stars right now?? it might be a true 4.5 rounded up to 5, but the vibes were incredible! this was SO much more than a holiday read though. let’s get into it…

☝🏼first and foremost, do the audiobook. it’s narrated by one of the best in the biz and my faves, Brittany Presley. it also has a “full cast” aka a voice for the boy MC and girl MC. it was incredible on audio and i quite literally listened every free 5-10 mins i could 🥹 audiobooks take me atleast 1-2 weeks to finish, so to binge this in 4 days is saying something!!

now onto the story. this was SUCH a good debut. the author is seriously talented—she evoked so many emotions throughout this story it was unreal. i laughed, i almost cried, i was happy, i was nostalgic… and so much more.

it was CREATIVE and unique too. and tbh at this stage in my (critical😅) reading journey, a book has to be unique to really hit hard for me. maybe i read too much, maybe i’m too critical, but it’s just how it is.

this book follows a group of four besties that name themselves the Christmas Orphans. they don’t spend Christmas with their families (lots of various drama there), so they choose to spend it with each other making lasting memories with their chosen family…and their Christmas Day traditions are one of a kind.

so what happens when one of them announces they’re moving cross country and this will be their last Christmas all together in NYC? will this change everything?

UGH!! guys it was just so good. the middle did sliiiightly drag for me a bit and the 3rd act breakup/drama always makes me eye roll, but i still loved it.

in a nutshell, here’s what to expect:
🎄all the holiday vibes, including Christmas in NYC which is bucket list for me!
🫶🏼choosing your friends that become family
🎧an epic audiobook
📚a unique story
👀a few twists and drama that shock you. the molly scene… iykyk
👯‍♀️friendship and holiday nostalgia
❤️themes about growing up, what family means and how change can be good
🤍dual POVs
🥰a diverse group of friends & love stories
🎬a book i’m beggggging to get adapted!!

now… READ IT!

[cherie ^_-★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 stars ⭐️
⤷ spoilers ahead!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ my thoughts
i loved this book right from the start 🥹❤️ it was heartwarming and wholesome, yet also sad and heartbreaking. the back-and-forth timeline was a bit confusing at first, and i do wish priya and theo’s povs had been included, but those weren’t major drawbacks for me.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ characters
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ hannah
i see myself a lot in hannah. i’m afraid of change and struggle with moving on too. after her parents died, she made her life small and clung onto her friends, believing it was only a matter of time before anything good was taken from her. i really felt for her and understood why christmas with the christmas orphans club was so important to her.

ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ finn
everyone say “thank you finn!!!” if it weren’t for him, the christmas orphans club wouldn’t exist, and i can’t bear to think about what that would be like 💔

ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ hannah and finn
their friendship breakup was unnecessary imo 🤦🏻‍♀️ you’re telling me they stopped talking for a whole year just because hannah kissed theo while they were both drunk and high?! (finn and theo weren’t even together at that point in time btw)

ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ finn and theo
gosh these 2 were in DENIAL!!!!! 😭 they were clearly in love with each other from the start, but neither of them had the courage to make a move, so they dated other people over the years, but none of those relationships ever really worked out because, deep down, they only had eyes for each other 😫

ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ priya
i felt really bad for priya. she was busy helping everyone mend their relationships, yet no one took the time to check on her or notice what she was going through because they were too absorbed in their own problems. she must’ve felt so alone and exhausted 😔

ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ david
a big shout-out to david for being such an amazing partner to hannah. he was incredibly understanding and loyal, and it was clear how much he loved her 🥲

ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ the christmas orphans club
i absolutely adore the found family trope in this book, and i loved their yearly christmas adventures. i also loved how they were always there for each other, willing to drop everything just to be there for one another 🥹

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ overall
this has definitely become my favourite christmas read (let’s ignore the fact that i’ve only read 2 christmas books, this one included 🫢), and i highly recommend everyone to add it to their december/christmas tbrs <3


pre-read 🎄❤️
on to the next christmas book on my december tbr!

P.S. can we just take a moment to appreciate how beautiful the cover is? 😍

[shannon✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was low-key boring and I didn't like Hannah. She really could've used some therapy.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4/5, Holiday Fiction)

Sometimes, when I’m knee-deep in a holiday romance, it’s nice to escape the genre for a beat and try something different; this story fits the bill. This is a heartwarming, found-family story set in NYC during Christmas. The true star of this story was New York City—this book’s fourth character. The descriptions of bars, restaurants, and landmarks left me feeling like I had just taken a trip to the Big Apple.

This story is about the Christmas Orphans: Hannah, Finn, Theo, and Priya. These are four friends turned family who spend every Christmas together because, at first, there’s nowhere else for them to be, and eventually, because there’s nowhere else they’d rather be. Told from multiple POVs over 5 years of Christmases, you will watch these four friends grow up together as they prepare for their final Christmas together before Finn leaves for LA.

I thought this story was totally unique and very well written. Sometimes, when pop culture references are sprinkled throughout a book, it can get a little tiresome (check + mate… still love you, though!). Still, this book did an exceptional job of using the references to transport you to a year and a memory. The shining stars in this were the best friends, specifically Theo. I had a massive crush on him. I have to admit, the leading lady drove me totally nuts! I am thinking she was supposed to? She is so self-involved!! Despite a less-than-stellar leading lady, the other friends and the setting made this story a delight. I enjoyed my time with this book and thought it was a refreshing break from all the holiday romance I’ve been reading.

Hannah and Finn spent one Christmas drinking Candy Cane martinis, and as soon as she described them as tasting like “melted peppermint ice cream,” I knew I had to try one. Swipe for the recipe!

[Rachel L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book at exactly the right time. For technicalities sake, this book is not a romance but a fictional novel with romance elements. I feel the need to make that clear since it is very clearly marketed as a romance but doesn't technically fit the genre.

Following Hannah, Finn, Priya, and Theo over a span of years, the Christmas Orphans Club is about four best friends who don't have family to spend Christmas with, so they spend it with each other. After a tumultuous few years, Hannah finally feels settled with her friendships until Finn drops a bomb: he's moving to LA. Now Hannah feels the need to make this Christmas better than ever, but there's still some cracks in her personal life that are starting to grow larger.

I really liked Hannah as a main character, I thought she was interesting and I really understood her feelings on a lot of the situations in this book. The author definitely wrote herself into a corner making this book mostly only take place on the Christmas holiday in varying years, but I thought it all came together really well. My favorite part of this book was Hannah and Finn's friendship and how they were really there for each other even when times were hard. By the end of the book I was in tears. Yes, it's a Christmas book but it also wasn't super cheesy like a Hallmark movie (not that there's anything wrong with that).

[Laura Werner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hannah was a brat there I said it

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 2 out of 5]

What was the point of this book? So boring!

[Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ I’m loving these Christmas friendship books!!

[Kelly • Kell of a Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️ The Christmas Orphans Club was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and boy oh boy, did Becca Freeman deliver!

Christmas is a hard time for a lot of people, myself included, and I love that this book celebrated the season while also acknowledging the complicated feelings many of those celebrants may have. It’s very much a modern, non-traditional Christmas story and I think even those that aren’t seasonal book readers will eat this right up!

This book is a love letter to friendship, to New York, and to growing up. I love to read a few Christmas books each year but most of them end up feeling like cheesy Hallmark movies. That is NOT the case here. This book was festive but also so full of humor and heart.

If you like Emily Henry’s sense of humor you will LOVE Becca’s writing. It’s hilarious and I laughed out loud numerous times but there were multiple scenes that had me tearing up a bit, too.

Lastly, I might have located this in the romance section of B&N, but I must warn you that it is not a romance novel. It is a story about friendship and platonic love and to me, it was absolutely perfect.

🎧the audiobook was absolutely fabulous!! Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted listen.

[Mar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was absolutely cozy and heartwarming!

I haven’t read any holiday books but this was a great first choice.

This is about Hannah, who is used to spending the best of Christmas’s with her friends, or according to her “The Christmas Orphans Club”, a found family.

It all goes well until suddenly… one of her friends, Finn, has found a job opportunity in LA and that means… her closest best friend is going away and not only that, but he’s leaving without telling his crush how he truly feels?!

This is a super cozy and entertaining read. It made me laugh, gasp, and curse quite a lot! It’s really fast paced and keeps you reading it. Maybe it got a bit too long at some parts and added unnecessary extra info but honestly, that didn’t matter at all cause this was good.

Anyways, the characters were also great. Each one has their own personality and I’ve always been a fan of the found family trope.

I’d definitely recommend this if you’re looking to read a holiday book NOT during Christmas, yes, guess that’s how weird I am.

[ER · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this so badly but wow the main character (Hannah) was so whiny and unlikeable. I spent most of the book wanting to shake her out of her 'woe is me' childish act. I get that she lost her parents when she was a teen but the way she guilts people into never changing because she would have to feel her feelings was not fun to read.

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Brandice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t always love holiday reads but I really liked The Christmas Orphans Club! Set predominately in NYC over multiple Christmases, this is a story about 4 friends turned found family and their highs and lows as they celebrate Christmas together each year.

On the cusp of big life changes, Hannah, Finn, Theo and Priya must decide what they really want for their futures, as they attempt to embrace change instead of fearing it. The story was cute, modern, and funny, and makes a great Christmas read — 4.5 stars

[Alex Hoeft · Rating 2 out of 5]

I … did not like this book. Where to begin? I know the same about the characters at the end of the book as I did at the beginning. Hannah is all over the map, Finn is ??? Theo and Priya are literally just there. And if I had to read the phrase “you’re my person” or “they’re my people” one more time……..

I heard about and decided to read this book because I heard the author talk about it on a podcast (not her own) and how she was frustrated by the cover illustration falling more into today’s romantic trends for covers. I thought that was really interesting. I’m honestly kind of surprised this book was published at all. It felt really, supremely shallow. Between the lack of character development and a pop culture reference every two sentences and humor (?????) that never landed for me, I have to wonder where the editing effort was applied.

I wanted a book about friendship, but I never got any of the truly intimate moments that buoy such relationships. It all felt very commercial.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: Becca and I have been writing partners on a few different projects, so I am obviously a fan of her work and think she's incredibly talented. That said, I had absolutely nothing to do with this one, and was honored to read it in a draft stage.

All biases aside — this book was truly SO much fun!!! Personally I am a Christmas-loving freak, so I'm always on the hunt for holiday-themed books towards the end of the year, but so many of them are just too cheesy for me, or follow a really saccharine romance that feels a little too Hallmark-y for my tastes.

TCoC has none of those problems; it's funny and modern, and while there are a couple love stories, the central theme of adult friendship and how it changes through the years really resonated with me. The four main characters were crystal clear in my mind and obviously care so much about each other, which meant I really felt the ups and downs. And the descriptions of their adventures around New York made me feel just like I was there, so the book has the bonus of not just being Christmas-festive, but also NYC-Christmas-festive, which as we all know is the most perfect kind of Christmas there is.

Curl up by a fire, grab a mug of cocoa, and get ready to read this baby in one sitting — year after year.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

The Christmas Orphans Club was such a great holiday book. I adored this book and the characters, such a good found family story.

Hannah and Finn have been best friends since college and for different reasons they are both orphans around the holiday. Hannah literally, Finn, figuratively. So they start a Christmas tradition. As the years pass, Theo and Priya end up in their tradition as well.

As the years pass, things change, and even though there are rocky roads these friends always have each others back. It’s heartwarming and lovely and the ending was delightful. I enjoyed this one lots!

Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Brittany Pressley & Andre Santana
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Holiday Romance
Length: 9h 23m

[Sara R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meet Hannah.

Hannah's parents died when she was sixteen (I think), so Christmas is predictably a difficult time for her. When she's twenty and in college, she meets manic-pixie-boy Finn, who's similarly alone on Christmas (he's been estranged from his parents since he came out).
Finn does not go to Hannah saying something normal, like, 'hey, I noticed your loud music, wanna do something together?'.
No, in an attempt to pitch this book to the frequency of early 00s American comedies, he's wearing a full caped costume, has the key to every building on campus, and makes pancakes in the canteen kitchen. If you're already thinking hey, I've seen this film before! Yeah. You have.
They become best friends. We know this because Hannah goes around saying stuff like:

“We met in college, on Christmas our sophomore year. And we immediately clicked. It’s like he’s my soulmate, my person.” I pause. “Ew, I’m explaining this all wrong. This sounds so cheesy.” I laugh.

At no point do these two actually behave like close friends. Sure, we're told that they watch a lot of reality TV, and occasionally they sleep in the same bed which is cute, but 98% of what they do reads like acquaintances.
Two more characters join this found family and Christmas antics: Priya, Hannah's flatmate, and Theo, a carton cut-out rich English boy in Burberry scarves who says stuff like:

“One year my father had some custom made with hundred-pound notes inside, except I’d been particularly naughty that year, almost got thrown out of primary for scrapping with one of my classmates, so he made one for me with a lump of coal inside.”

Theo serves the purpose of vague love interest for Finn; Priya serves the purpose of passing the Bechdel test, I must presume. These two are barely developed, yet we're supposed to believe they are part of the family.

We time-jump though many fun Christmases. These Christmases all sound painfully generic. Which is my problem with the book, really. When it goes over the top, it's in a Hallmarkian way rather than a goofy way; when it tries to be earnest it falls short.

"A real old-school red sauce joint that looks like somewhere the Mafia would eat, and it’s packed. So we decided to check it out. Turns out, it was the family that owns the place’s Christmas dinner, but they invited us to join them. I’ve never had ravioli this good before."

"To me, New York is that time we went to a Yankees game before remembering that neither of us give a shit about baseball, so we bought hats and hot dogs and left. It’s slices of Artichoke pizza in the Village at four in the morning, and biking across the bridge to Dumbo on summer weekends so we could stare back at New York across the river. It’s the eight million dinners, and brunches, and nights out, even the ones that kind of sucked because those would be the best to laugh at over bagels the next morning."

I can't even explain how hollow this all rings??

"Once, in our early days of dating, I brought David to Lucky’s for the first time. The Friends had Central Perk, the How I Met Your Mother gang had McLaren’s, and we had Lucky’s."

If you have to spell this out halfway through the book, then you have not done your job with the set-up.

Which brings us to Christmas this year. It may be the last one together. Hannah's got a cardboard cut-out boyfriend who is utter perfection but to whom she can't fully commit (dw she will have a quick epiphany at the end of the book and fix this). Finn is leaving the city, plus him and Hannah had a huge fight two years ago and things are no longer quite the same. And he's in love with Theo.
Priya and Theo live a blissful secondary character life, and good for them.

Let's talk about the fight. because the fight was so silly. The fight was the kind of petty fight you have with a friend and you feel stupid for even having it by the time you've sobered up. But no! These two do not speak for A WHOLE YEAR.
So forgive me if when the end goes 'I'll always be your family etc etc', I don't believe it.

I really loved the premise of this book. I love reading about found family, though if you need to qualify it as such constantly, you've not truly written one. As a very nostalgic person, the feeling of holding on to something that is changing speaks to me. I wanted this to be heartfelt, but I mainly got generic and not quite funny enough to pull it off.
I loved it when Hannah was allowed to be petty and messy. With a little more honesty and less of a faux-cinematic approach this could have been so good.

[Phoebe (readandwright) Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved! perfect balance of festive fun and real life struggles of growing out of the magical time that are your twenties.

Thank you Pamela Dornan Books and Becca Freeman for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

It was such a thrill to read this book, one of my most anticipated 2023 releases! I read it while on vacation, soaking in the August sun, and it was still a perfect read. If you’re someone who likes the holiday vibes but aren’t looking for a sickly sweet Hallmark version (like me) this is a perfect read for you.

This is a book that feels like Sunday brunch with your friends. It feels like hangover bagels and crisp Fall days. It feels like boring your hometown friends with stories of the new friends you made in college. It feels like a night in after a bad break up, when your heart is broken but you’re never alone.

Synopsis:

“Hannah and Finn have spent every Christmas together since college. Neither has anywhere else to go—Hannah’s parents died, and Finn’s disowned him when he came out. Their tradition of offbeat holiday adventures only grows more outrageous with time. When the pair starts their adult lives in New York City, they add stylish Priya and mysterious Theo to the group, solidifying a found family and sense of belonging they’ve always craved.But now, when Finn announces a move to L.A., this Christmas may be their last. Hannah is terrified of losing the family she’s built for herself, even as her boyfriend nudges her toward commitment. Meanwhile, Finn struggles with the things he’s about to leave behind—namely, his unexpressed feelings for Theo. Does growing up mean growing apart? This Christmas the changes these friends fear may be exactly what they need. . . . “ —StoryGraph

What I Liked:

The Concept—I LOVE a book about found family. I love Friendsgiving. I love the idea of a group that makes the holiday special for themselves, with or without a nuclear family. I also loved how New York this book was, as your found family in New York is what makes your time there the most special.

The Way We Moved Through Time—This book is told in a non-linear timeline but it WORKS for the reveals so well.

The Characters—I loved all the characters so much.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

Wanted More Priya!—Since I loved them so much, I wanted more of Priya! I felt like she was the one we got to know the least, but (no spoilers) part of that is the point I suppose. I just wanted more!

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 5/5

Content Warnings:

death of a parent, homophobia (moderate), grief

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the premise of this book. Friends becoming like family is a worthy warm fuzzy moment and then some. Plus it's a Christmas story.

On the positive side, this was funny from time to time. That was well done. I also liked the dialogue. It was unexpected and fun.

But overall, this wasn't really for me. I was never pulled in by the characters and I struggled to stay engaged. So 2 stars.

[Magrat Ajostiernos · Rating 3 out of 5]

La verdad que este no es el tipo de libros que me suele gustar y a pesar de todo me ha tenido el fin de semana entretenida y sorprendentemente enganchada a su historia.

Aunque se trata de la típica historia de enredos de veinteañeros neoyorquinos siendo jóvenes y guapos (cosa que no me puede dar más repelús xD) la verdad es que tiene un punto tierno al estar más enfocada en la amistad que en el romance.
La amistad fundada sobre el hecho de que ninguno de los cuatro amigos protagonistas tienen donde ni con quién pasar las navidades es una base poderosa para esta novela contada a lo largo de diferentes navidades desde los 20 hasta los 30 años de los personajes.

Pena que de los cuatro, solo conozcamos realmente a los dos más protagonistas y se tire tanto de clichés y constantes referencias pop que al menos a mí me molestaron un poquito. De todas maneras si buscas una historia muy ligera ambientada en Navidad para pasar un rato agradable, puede ser una buena opción... no es especialmente divertida pero consigue que termines el libro con una sonrisa.

[Natalie | novelswithnat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was thinking 3.5 stars at first, but the more I thought about this one, I’m settling on 3 stars.

This book was good for a debut novel! Finn & Theo were my favorite ❤️ Finn was so pure & relatable!!!! He made me laugh a few times.

Okay but here’s your warning— If you cannot stand miscommunication or just characters that don’t communicate at all… beware! There’s A LOT of that throughout the book. I found Hannah to be painful tbh 😅 Was she manipulative orrrr…? Girl needed therapy lol! Finally, I wanted more Christmas? 🥺 There were minimal holiday feels.

Overall, it was a refreshing & modern take for a Christmas novel that centered around friendship. The found family feels were screaming & I loved that, especially for this season 🥹❤️‍🩹

[Lindsay♫SingerOfStories♫ · Rating 4 out of 5]

First thing - I don't think I've ever read a book with so many pop culture references, and I was HERE FOR IT.
Secondly - If you live in NYC, I think you will love this book. I've only been once but even for me, this book was an homage to all things NYC.
And third - This was such a sweet story about friendships. At times Hannah's stubbornness was a little annoying but it was all in the name of friendship. I loved Hannah and Finn and (especially) Theo and Priya. And David and Clem also! One tradition once a year doesn't define a friendship that is strong every day of the year. Great coming of age story for a friend group.

[heather | booksbyheath · Rating 4 out of 5]

V cute, strongly recommend

[Chelsey (a_novel_idea11) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored this holiday novel and it hit all the right notes for me. Holiday cheer, friendship, romance, and a coming of age aspect.

I loved how all the characters came together and how they built a lasting tradition together. Each of the foursome had a very different backstory as to why they might be alone on Christmas, and it worked perfectly for the story.

The format of the novel was also great. I loved that in addition to present day leading up to the group's "final" Christmas, we also got chapters of Christmases past to get more backstory. I loved learning more about the characters and their relationships and understanding their history and connection.

The ending of this novel was absolute perfection and exactly what I needed for the holiday season.

Reading this one with a book club and so excited to hear everyone's thoughts!

[Britany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure - I listen and love this author's book podcast.

Finn, Hannah, Theo, and Priya become the Christmas Orphans Club, exactly what it sounds like. Four adults with no where to go when everyone else goes home for the holidays. This is really a story about friendship and middle aged adulthood in a big city (check, check, and check). Becca perfectly encapsulates exactly that feeling, I would know after spending my own last Christmas in Chicago, alone with my dog.

I really enjoyed the witty banter and even I have to admit that this was much better written than I anticipated. I've read a lot of books by podcasters who I love, and none have come nearly as close to being as good as this one. Becca's voice shines through this one and I sappily clapped along at the peak rom-com scene of an ending.

[Δανάη Ιμπραχήμ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy, γιορτινό, αληθινό.

[whatkelseysreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a win for my first holiday read of the season!

✨found family🫶
✨dual POV + multiple timelines
✨Christmas traditions - how they change as you grow and how hard it can be to change them
✨funny and heartwarming!
✨references that made me easily relate (Parks and Rec, Throne of Glass, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days!)👏
✨will make you want to call up your BFFs and schedule a movie marathon 🥹
✨strained family relationships
✨great on audio!

I definitely recommend!! 🎄⛸️🧣

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheers to THE CHRISTMAS ORPHANS CLUB by BECCA FREEMAN, which I finished today and am feeling all the warm and fuzzies.

The book centers on best friends Hannah and Finn, who met their sophomore year at Boston College. They were both hunkered down in the dorms over Christmas break, as neither had a family to go home to. A ridiculously fun night follows and just like that THE CHRISTMAS ORPHANS CLUB is born.

The 10+ year tradition has stayed strong, following their move to NYC where they welcomed two more people in the club - Priya and Theo. The four friends became a fast family, but as they edge into their 30s and their lives start to veer in different directions, and to different coasts, Hannah is worried that this Christmas will be their last.

Think found family + playful humor + crazy Christmas hijinks blending with some weightier moments of grief + hurt + the complications of being in love. The friendships definitely take center stage in this book, with some romance on the side.

The book is told from Hannah & Finn’s POVs and mixes present day with chapters of Christmas past. We see how these friends came together and the complications of their dynamic. I found a lot of relatability to that time in life where the people you spent every minute with gradually become people you struggle to schedule time with as life starts to happen. Growing up and growing apart is a hurt and a struggle that felt all too familiar 🖤

There are definitely some sharp comedic moments and, me being me, I of course shed a few tears. I also found myself craving champagne + pancakes + hunkering down on the couch with my bestie for a movie marathon.

I’m a massive fan of the BAD ON PAPER podcast which Becca co-hosts and have been following her writing journey on the pod. I feel oddly like I’m celebrating a friend’s debut (which I mean in the least creeper way possible!). Congrats!!!

Huge thanks to @netgalley and @penguinbooks for the eARC.