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The Christmas Crush: A Novel
A small-town baker and a career woman working for a cookie conglomerate get all mixed up in this Christmas romcom, perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey and Maggie Knox.
Marketing executive Elena Voss’s newest assignment for Sparkle Cookie, a large cookie conglomerate, was meant to be a much-needed break from her toxic boss and the stressful city. She never expected to get in a public—and embarrassing—argument with a sexy baker in New Hope, Pennsylvania. But the townsfolk aren’t exactly thrilled about a corporate chain bakery coming in to ruin their small town feel.
Lawrence Higgins–and his dog Sugar–have been a beloved staple in New Hope for years. Their bakery specializes in cookies, but with Sparkle Cookie’s upcoming grand opening, he’s worried about rent spikes and stolen customers. Elena wants to write Lawrence off as an opponent she can crush, but his good looks and passion for baking make it difficult to stay professional.
Elena and Lawrence immediately butt heads at a town hall meeting. When a cookie competition makes them join forces, sparks fly, and they find first impressions are often wrong. Can their blossoming connection survive the ensuing cookie war?
Marketing executive Elena Voss’s newest assignment for Sparkle Cookie, a large cookie conglomerate, was meant to be a much-needed break from her toxic boss and the stressful city. She never expected to get in a public—and embarrassing—argument with a sexy baker in New Hope, Pennsylvania. But the townsfolk aren’t exactly thrilled about a corporate chain bakery coming in to ruin their small town feel.
Lawrence Higgins–and his dog Sugar–have been a beloved staple in New Hope for years. Their bakery specializes in cookies, but with Sparkle Cookie’s upcoming grand opening, he’s worried about rent spikes and stolen customers. Elena wants to write Lawrence off as an opponent she can crush, but his good looks and passion for baking make it difficult to stay professional.
Elena and Lawrence immediately butt heads at a town hall meeting. When a cookie competition makes them join forces, sparks fly, and they find first impressions are often wrong. Can their blossoming connection survive the ensuing cookie war?
297 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 8, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 432 reviews
August 26, 2024
Elena, an ambitious executive from Sparkle Cookie, arrives in New Hope with plans to establish a new branch of the company. Her determination to impress her bosses clashes with the townspeople's resistance, who fear the large corporation will spoil their small-town charm.
At the center of this opposition stands Lawrence, the beloved local baker, alongside his loyal canine companion, Sugar. For two years, their bakery has been the sweet heart of New Hope, specializing in delectable artisanal cookies. Lawrence sees Sparkle Cookie as a direct threat to his business and is resolved to prevent the company from setting up shop in town.
The clash between Elena and Lawrence is inevitable, and their rivalry ignites during a tense town hall meeting. However, fate has other plans when a cookie competition forces them to join forces. As they work together, their initial tension transforms into undeniable attraction.
This book is perfect for lovers of holiday stories with a dash of romance and humor. The author skillfully weaves themes of professional ambition, local tradition, and the true meaning of community into this cozy tale.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
At the center of this opposition stands Lawrence, the beloved local baker, alongside his loyal canine companion, Sugar. For two years, their bakery has been the sweet heart of New Hope, specializing in delectable artisanal cookies. Lawrence sees Sparkle Cookie as a direct threat to his business and is resolved to prevent the company from setting up shop in town.
The clash between Elena and Lawrence is inevitable, and their rivalry ignites during a tense town hall meeting. However, fate has other plans when a cookie competition forces them to join forces. As they work together, their initial tension transforms into undeniable attraction.
This book is perfect for lovers of holiday stories with a dash of romance and humor. The author skillfully weaves themes of professional ambition, local tradition, and the true meaning of community into this cozy tale.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 9, 2024
Super cute, a little cheesy and sugary sweet. If you like Hallmark movies, you will definitely like this book. It's cozy, and festive and fun. This would be a good palate cleanser book as it's an easy read.
The narrator, Kim Churchill did a great job with narration.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 10/8
The narrator, Kim Churchill did a great job with narration.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 10/8
July 2, 2024
This book has all of the feels! An amazing enemies to lovers novel! If you enjoy all of those cute holiday romance movies, you'll definitely love this book! At first, I was kind of put off by the FMC, but she grew on me. Of course, Lawrence was loveable, and I rooted for him the entire time. It had the angst, sass, "awe" lovey dovey moments, and the soothing small town family vibes I seek in holiday books! While I've read this type of theme in books a lot, this was still great and enjoyable! Loved the small town holiday vibes!
I received this ARC from NetGalley and Alcove Press to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and Alcove Press to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
October 7, 2024
2,5 ✨️
Prior to diving into this book, I was genuinely excited about it. Sadly, despite its promising premise, it ended up being quite disappointing.
I was really engaged by Lawrence and Elena's journey; their dynamic pulled me in, and I found myself invested in their relationship. However, after reaching the halfway point, the narrative lost its appeal. The book became bogged down with lengthy descriptive sections that felt excessive. I tend to enjoy more dialogue; while some description can enhance a story, here it felt overdone.
Another significant drawback was that the story felt overly clean and it didn’t quite work for me. I was expecting to see a natural progression in their relationship, but it felt like we kept hitting a barrier whenever things started to heat up.
While my critique is based on personal taste, I don’t want to dissuade anyone from picking up this book. Some readers might enjoy the style and content more than I did. However, I wouldn't be inclined to recommend it to my fellow book friends. I believe everyone has different preferences, and perhaps this one just wasn’t the right fit for me. If you enjoy a gentler approach to romance without explicit scenes, it might still be worth a read for you.
Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove, and Noelle for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🤎✨️
Prior to diving into this book, I was genuinely excited about it. Sadly, despite its promising premise, it ended up being quite disappointing.
I was really engaged by Lawrence and Elena's journey; their dynamic pulled me in, and I found myself invested in their relationship. However, after reaching the halfway point, the narrative lost its appeal. The book became bogged down with lengthy descriptive sections that felt excessive. I tend to enjoy more dialogue; while some description can enhance a story, here it felt overdone.
Another significant drawback was that the story felt overly clean and it didn’t quite work for me. I was expecting to see a natural progression in their relationship, but it felt like we kept hitting a barrier whenever things started to heat up.
While my critique is based on personal taste, I don’t want to dissuade anyone from picking up this book. Some readers might enjoy the style and content more than I did. However, I wouldn't be inclined to recommend it to my fellow book friends. I believe everyone has different preferences, and perhaps this one just wasn’t the right fit for me. If you enjoy a gentler approach to romance without explicit scenes, it might still be worth a read for you.
Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove, and Noelle for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🤎✨️
August 25, 2024
This delightful book is just what you need during Christmas time, cuddled up in a warm blanket by the fireplace, a hot chocolate in hand, and snow gently falling outside.
It tells the story of Elena, a woman with the soul of an artist, who works as the VP of marketing for a large cookie company. The company is opening a new branch in a charming small town, where the local baker, Lawrence, is determined to fight to keep his beloved bakery open. Those endearing characters really grew on me!
This fast paced story has all the comforting familiarity and coziness of a Christmas movie, complete with the small-town charm, the magic of the season, delicious cookies, and, of course, a happy ending.
Thanks to NetGalley, Alcove Press and Noelle Douglas for a chance to read this book for free. I’m leaving this review of my own accord.
It tells the story of Elena, a woman with the soul of an artist, who works as the VP of marketing for a large cookie company. The company is opening a new branch in a charming small town, where the local baker, Lawrence, is determined to fight to keep his beloved bakery open. Those endearing characters really grew on me!
This fast paced story has all the comforting familiarity and coziness of a Christmas movie, complete with the small-town charm, the magic of the season, delicious cookies, and, of course, a happy ending.
Thanks to NetGalley, Alcove Press and Noelle Douglas for a chance to read this book for free. I’m leaving this review of my own accord.
August 17, 2024
This is your typical sweet holiday romance- small town, MC owns a bakery that's either in competition with the town's a new bakery or is about to lose their bakery, insta-love with their competitor.. It felt like your average Christmas romance, but with much more filler parts in it and not the most likable characters. I wanted to love this one, but unfortunately, I found it difficult to get through in a sitting. 2.75 rounded up
Thank you NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Noelle Douglas for this ARC.
Thank you NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Noelle Douglas for this ARC.
October 14, 2024
Best book ever written! By me at least. I'm sure other people have written even better ones.
October 13, 2024
3.5. Elena is a marketing rep for Sparkle cookie which sounds like what we would know Crumble Cookie to be, a huge popular corporation. The people in New Hope are not excited about the cookie store opening so Elena goes there to try and make a good impression and get the people more comfortable with Sparkle being in town. That’s where she meets Lawrence who happens to own a bakery that specializes in cookies. He’s obviously upset about the soon to be cookie store opening and they don’t start off on a good note but things change when they get to know one another!
This was cute and perfectly fun to listen to! I enjoy both main characters a lot. I wish the conflict hadn’t been such a long part of the story, but I enjoyed it still.
This audiobook was narrated by Kim Churchill. I loved the audio version, she did such a good job with the characters!
Thank you so much to Netgalley, Noelle Douglas, and Dreamscape Media for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review. This published on October 8th.
This was cute and perfectly fun to listen to! I enjoy both main characters a lot. I wish the conflict hadn’t been such a long part of the story, but I enjoyed it still.
This audiobook was narrated by Kim Churchill. I loved the audio version, she did such a good job with the characters!
Thank you so much to Netgalley, Noelle Douglas, and Dreamscape Media for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review. This published on October 8th.
July 29, 2024
DNFed at 54%
Listen. I was very excited for this book until I actually got it. When I started reading it, I immediately disliked it but I tried to finished it, I really did.
There were too many unnecessary details in the writing. I don't need to know that someone crouched down to find cookie cutters in the cabinet and then rose to cut the cookies. Just say "and then he cut the cookies" or something like that. There were so many unnecessary details that didn't drive the plot forward at all, like why do I care that Lawrence appliances were too expensive? Nothing came out of it anyway. It felt like a high school student writing anything on their essay just to reach a certain word count. Unnecessary and distracting.
From what I've seen, people didn't like Elena but liked Lawrence, but I had the opposite problem. I love Elena, she was witty, strong, hardworking and opinionated. Lawrence, on the other hand was an anxious mess who had a boner for his granda. Seriously that's how he acted. His Nanna this, his Nanna that... Just give it a rest. You're an adult man, act like it. He was so annoying, honestly, I couldn't stand him most of the time.
The relationship between Lawrence and Elena was too insta love for me, and poorly developed. There were too many scenes they didn't spend time together and the focus was on other characters (*cough* Carmen *cough*) and I felt like they didnt really know each other. I couldn't feel the connection between the characters at all.
It was disappointing. I hoped for something else, tbh. It wasn't my cup of tea, but In sure this book will get many fans for it's Christmas small town feels.
Listen. I was very excited for this book until I actually got it. When I started reading it, I immediately disliked it but I tried to finished it, I really did.
There were too many unnecessary details in the writing. I don't need to know that someone crouched down to find cookie cutters in the cabinet and then rose to cut the cookies. Just say "and then he cut the cookies" or something like that. There were so many unnecessary details that didn't drive the plot forward at all, like why do I care that Lawrence appliances were too expensive? Nothing came out of it anyway. It felt like a high school student writing anything on their essay just to reach a certain word count. Unnecessary and distracting.
From what I've seen, people didn't like Elena but liked Lawrence, but I had the opposite problem. I love Elena, she was witty, strong, hardworking and opinionated. Lawrence, on the other hand was an anxious mess who had a boner for his granda. Seriously that's how he acted. His Nanna this, his Nanna that... Just give it a rest. You're an adult man, act like it. He was so annoying, honestly, I couldn't stand him most of the time.
The relationship between Lawrence and Elena was too insta love for me, and poorly developed. There were too many scenes they didn't spend time together and the focus was on other characters (*cough* Carmen *cough*) and I felt like they didnt really know each other. I couldn't feel the connection between the characters at all.
It was disappointing. I hoped for something else, tbh. It wasn't my cup of tea, but In sure this book will get many fans for it's Christmas small town feels.
December 9, 2025
This was decent.
I enjoyed all the cookie talk and the character growth for Elena is on point!
The relationship develops at a nice pace and the coupling is cute.
I just wish there was a little less drama since the book stretched on longer than necessary.
Sweet holiday romance in a small town either way.
I enjoyed all the cookie talk and the character growth for Elena is on point!
The relationship develops at a nice pace and the coupling is cute.
I just wish there was a little less drama since the book stretched on longer than necessary.
Sweet holiday romance in a small town either way.
January 8, 2025
4.5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5 (rounded up)
This was such a cute read!
This one had a very strong enemies to lovers vibe. The FMC works for a big cookie corporation that is setting up shop in a small town. The MMC owns the small town bakery. You get where this is going! 😏
I loved the communication between the main characters and I really enjoyed the amazing & funny side characters.
You get:
• Sweet Romance
• Enemies To Lovers
• Small Town
• Rivals
• Forced Proximity
• Forbidden Love
• Found Family
I highly recommend this fun holiday read! Available on ebook, paperback, and audiobook.
This was such a cute read!
This one had a very strong enemies to lovers vibe. The FMC works for a big cookie corporation that is setting up shop in a small town. The MMC owns the small town bakery. You get where this is going! 😏
I loved the communication between the main characters and I really enjoyed the amazing & funny side characters.
You get:
• Sweet Romance
• Enemies To Lovers
• Small Town
• Rivals
• Forced Proximity
• Forbidden Love
• Found Family
I highly recommend this fun holiday read! Available on ebook, paperback, and audiobook.
September 16, 2024
Ok so it took me awhile to gather my thoughts on this one (read: a full 24 hours) and I needed to evaluate whether it was truly a four star read for me or if I'm simply a sucker for baker love stories and Christmas love stories (hint: this one hits both categories). Now that a full day has passed and I've read a book in the in between, I can accurately say this one still hits the 4 star marker for me. Dare I say even a 4.25.
Now that my intro is out of the way, I must thank both NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback and review.
Let's chat about this fluffy holiday romance...
First up, tropes -- we've got:
- Rivals to Lovers
- Big city corporate lady meets a small town baker
- Snowed-in
- Fade to black romance
- Hallmark levels of Christmas charm
- More that has escaped my lil brain
From the get-go, there's a connection between our couple but I love the tension that's added once they find out they're rivals and have that little will-they-or-won't-they moment. I adored both Lawrence and Elena and their chemistry was great. I'm also so glad that . The narrator did a fantastic job as well!
Now that my intro is out of the way, I must thank both NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback and review.
Let's chat about this fluffy holiday romance...
First up, tropes -- we've got:
- Rivals to Lovers
- Big city corporate lady meets a small town baker
- Snowed-in
- Fade to black romance
- Hallmark levels of Christmas charm
- More that has escaped my lil brain
From the get-go, there's a connection between our couple but I love the tension that's added once they find out they're rivals and have that little will-they-or-won't-they moment. I adored both Lawrence and Elena and their chemistry was great. I'm also so glad that . The narrator did a fantastic job as well!
December 3, 2024
3.25 ⭐️
The Christmas Crush was a light & perfunctory Christmas love story. I picked this book for a few reasons. One, I haven’t read any novels by Noelle Douglas. Two, this was a Christmas themed book. And three, the plot sounded intriguing since I haven’t read a story about a small-town baker and a career woman working for a cookie conglomerate as they butt heads until a cookie competition made them join forces. This was a distinct romance theme that probably has been done before, but is one that I hadn’t read until now. There wasn’t anything that set this story apart from others in the rom-com genre-it was your ‘typical’ superficial love story. On top of that, I didn’t find the banter between Elena and Lawrence cute, nor did I find it humorous. It was too tame and prosaic. I equivalently found Elena and Lawrence’s relationship cute in theory, but their relatability and authenticity was absent. Additionally, there weren’t any particular personality traits that made them stand out, and as a result, I found it arduous to connect with either of them. However, I did enjoy watching their love transpire as they got to know more about one another. The depth of these two characters lacked any substantial background and didn’t tackle any deep issues. Perhaps if there was more backstory on each of them I would have felt more connected to them. Likewise, the plot as I noted above was new to me which initially intrigued me, but as the story progressed, it was challenging for me to follow the storyline. It was much too shallow for my taste.
All in all, I wish I could have given The Christmas Crush a higher rating but it was much too frivolous. That said, this is not one I’d recommend unless you are looking for a fatuous and lackluster story. (Audio)
The Christmas Crush was a light & perfunctory Christmas love story. I picked this book for a few reasons. One, I haven’t read any novels by Noelle Douglas. Two, this was a Christmas themed book. And three, the plot sounded intriguing since I haven’t read a story about a small-town baker and a career woman working for a cookie conglomerate as they butt heads until a cookie competition made them join forces. This was a distinct romance theme that probably has been done before, but is one that I hadn’t read until now. There wasn’t anything that set this story apart from others in the rom-com genre-it was your ‘typical’ superficial love story. On top of that, I didn’t find the banter between Elena and Lawrence cute, nor did I find it humorous. It was too tame and prosaic. I equivalently found Elena and Lawrence’s relationship cute in theory, but their relatability and authenticity was absent. Additionally, there weren’t any particular personality traits that made them stand out, and as a result, I found it arduous to connect with either of them. However, I did enjoy watching their love transpire as they got to know more about one another. The depth of these two characters lacked any substantial background and didn’t tackle any deep issues. Perhaps if there was more backstory on each of them I would have felt more connected to them. Likewise, the plot as I noted above was new to me which initially intrigued me, but as the story progressed, it was challenging for me to follow the storyline. It was much too shallow for my taste.
All in all, I wish I could have given The Christmas Crush a higher rating but it was much too frivolous. That said, this is not one I’d recommend unless you are looking for a fatuous and lackluster story. (Audio)
December 12, 2024
⅘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Christmas Crush
Author: Noelle Douglas
Holiday Romance
Thank you so much Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this ALC! Can you tell I’m deep in my Holiday romance reads? I was super eager to request this one when I saw it! It was very Gilmore Girls, meets Christmas small town romance. Also… yes! Another baking romance. 😂. Why am I like this? Elena is a cookie business woman (LOL), and her job, Sparkle Cookie, opens a new location in Pennsylvania. The local baker, Lawrence, is not thrilled about this new business entering the scene! He is determined to make sure they fail, however his plan gets a little messed up when he and Elena end up having to team up together to win the towns cookie baking competition. This book was a very lighthearted, cute, and easy Christmas read. The narration was good and it was overall a perfect Christmas read!
The Christmas Crush
Author: Noelle Douglas
Holiday Romance
Thank you so much Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this ALC! Can you tell I’m deep in my Holiday romance reads? I was super eager to request this one when I saw it! It was very Gilmore Girls, meets Christmas small town romance. Also… yes! Another baking romance. 😂. Why am I like this? Elena is a cookie business woman (LOL), and her job, Sparkle Cookie, opens a new location in Pennsylvania. The local baker, Lawrence, is not thrilled about this new business entering the scene! He is determined to make sure they fail, however his plan gets a little messed up when he and Elena end up having to team up together to win the towns cookie baking competition. This book was a very lighthearted, cute, and easy Christmas read. The narration was good and it was overall a perfect Christmas read!
December 24, 2024
This book was insanely boring . Very very dull plot line and flat characters . Not very Christmas-y . Probably my least fav Christmas book read this year unfortunately!
December 17, 2024
This was a cute holiday read! I am always a sucker for a small town set at Christmas time especially if one of the main characters owns a bakery. This one has a fun twist on the story that I enjoyed. Plus the Gilmore Girls and Taylor Swift references made me smile. This is a closed door romance which can be refreshing once in a while. Overall, it was a fun read!
August 29, 2025
I thought this was a really cute, sweet read. I don't think I've read a romance book for a while now, like at least a few years, but "The Christmas Crush" definitely makes me think i should try them out again. I enjoyed the cozy atmosphere throughout! Even when there wasn't anything romantic going on, there was still that same cozy feel to it. I also found all the characters to be fun and realistically flawed, as in no one was a cliche stereotype.
I did take one star off because the dialogue felt a bit unnatural at times. While I think that all the characters come across like people you would genuinely see in real life, the dialogue could feel pretty cheesy and scripted. I definitely got Hallmark vibes at times - which isn't bad, I just don't typically enjoy Hallmark movies. Regardless, I think "The Christmas Crush" is a fun read for everyone, especially those who love Christmas, baking, and cute romance.
Note: I was recommended this book by a relative of the author, but all opinions are my own.
Date Read: 12/03/24 - 12/07/24
I did take one star off because the dialogue felt a bit unnatural at times. While I think that all the characters come across like people you would genuinely see in real life, the dialogue could feel pretty cheesy and scripted. I definitely got Hallmark vibes at times - which isn't bad, I just don't typically enjoy Hallmark movies. Regardless, I think "The Christmas Crush" is a fun read for everyone, especially those who love Christmas, baking, and cute romance.
Note: I was recommended this book by a relative of the author, but all opinions are my own.
Date Read: 12/03/24 - 12/07/24
August 18, 2024
Thank you so much to Net Galley and Alcove Press, for providing me with an advanced reader copy for review purposes.
The Christmas Crush by Noelle Douglas is a cute Christmas romance that follows the love story between Lawrence and Elena, while they navigate the rivalry between their businesses. Lawrence is the owner of Sweet L’s, he started baking with his grandma and then went on to fulfill his dream by opening a cute little bakery in his hometown, New Hope. Elena, on the other hand, works for Sparkle Cookie and is suddenly tasked with making sure their new grand opening (in New Hope!) goes smoothly.
If you turned a Hallmark movie into a book, this is probably the result you’d get.
I was really excited for the premises of this book, I mean who wouldn’t be? We’re talking about cookies, about two business rivals and it’s also christmas. But it took me quite a bit to get into the story, I found the first half of it to have a really slow pace. The love story between the two feels a bit insta-lovey, which is not my favorite vibe. Overall I enjoyed this book. I really loved the way the author described details like Lawrence baking, the different cookies or the Christmas decorations around the town. The characters were enjoyable for the most part, especially on their own. Some of their characteristics clashed too much, and I didn’t really understand how they connected with each other and made those sides of them work together. It was still a nice read, I just needed something more.
Rating: 3 stars
Release date: Oct 8, 2024
Insta Love
Business Rivals
Fade to black/Closed door
The Christmas Crush by Noelle Douglas is a cute Christmas romance that follows the love story between Lawrence and Elena, while they navigate the rivalry between their businesses. Lawrence is the owner of Sweet L’s, he started baking with his grandma and then went on to fulfill his dream by opening a cute little bakery in his hometown, New Hope. Elena, on the other hand, works for Sparkle Cookie and is suddenly tasked with making sure their new grand opening (in New Hope!) goes smoothly.
If you turned a Hallmark movie into a book, this is probably the result you’d get.
I was really excited for the premises of this book, I mean who wouldn’t be? We’re talking about cookies, about two business rivals and it’s also christmas. But it took me quite a bit to get into the story, I found the first half of it to have a really slow pace. The love story between the two feels a bit insta-lovey, which is not my favorite vibe. Overall I enjoyed this book. I really loved the way the author described details like Lawrence baking, the different cookies or the Christmas decorations around the town. The characters were enjoyable for the most part, especially on their own. Some of their characteristics clashed too much, and I didn’t really understand how they connected with each other and made those sides of them work together. It was still a nice read, I just needed something more.
Rating: 3 stars
Release date: Oct 8, 2024
Insta Love
Business Rivals
Fade to black/Closed door
October 23, 2024
The Christmas Crush by Noelle Douglas
Elena needs the new opening of sparkle cookie, her career is important to her.
Lawrence owns the local bakery and the idea of Sparkle cookie taking his customers sends him into a blind panic and things go even more awry when Elena and Lawrence get into a very public argument.
They know they are rivals but the more time they spend together, the more they can see their attraction is almost as strong as the imposing cookie war.
This book was perfect. It fully hugged me and drew me in. I could smell the cinnamon and nutmeg in my mind.
Elena really steps into herself and lets herself finally let go of all the negativity she has held onto and Lawrence realizes that Elena isn’t the enemy but the exact thing he needed. It was so cute! It was a slow burn hallmark movie in a book.
Enemies to lovers - CHECK
Small town - CHECK
Cinnamon roll MMC - CHECKKKKK
Really was a solid wholesome holiday classic
4 stars
Elena needs the new opening of sparkle cookie, her career is important to her.
Lawrence owns the local bakery and the idea of Sparkle cookie taking his customers sends him into a blind panic and things go even more awry when Elena and Lawrence get into a very public argument.
They know they are rivals but the more time they spend together, the more they can see their attraction is almost as strong as the imposing cookie war.
This book was perfect. It fully hugged me and drew me in. I could smell the cinnamon and nutmeg in my mind.
Elena really steps into herself and lets herself finally let go of all the negativity she has held onto and Lawrence realizes that Elena isn’t the enemy but the exact thing he needed. It was so cute! It was a slow burn hallmark movie in a book.
Enemies to lovers - CHECK
Small town - CHECK
Cinnamon roll MMC - CHECKKKKK
Really was a solid wholesome holiday classic
4 stars
October 10, 2024
The Christmas Crush by Noelle Douglas
4.5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
•••Spoiler free review below•••
I am starting off holiday reads early this year as I always feel like I never have quite enough time to read everything I want to. This one is so cute with a plot that could be a Hallmark movie (in the best way possible) and will leave you wanting cookies. I definitely recommend this sweet Christmas romance for your holiday tbr!
Read this book if you like:
-corporate meets small town
-cinnamon roll MMC
-COOKIES!!!
-work rivals
The Christmas Crush releases on October 8th and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
.
.
.
Special thanks to Dreamscape Media for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.
Review on Instagram
4.5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
•••Spoiler free review below•••
I am starting off holiday reads early this year as I always feel like I never have quite enough time to read everything I want to. This one is so cute with a plot that could be a Hallmark movie (in the best way possible) and will leave you wanting cookies. I definitely recommend this sweet Christmas romance for your holiday tbr!
Read this book if you like:
-corporate meets small town
-cinnamon roll MMC
-COOKIES!!!
-work rivals
The Christmas Crush releases on October 8th and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
.
.
.
Special thanks to Dreamscape Media for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.
Review on Instagram
December 27, 2024
My Rating: 3.25/5
This was an okay Christmas audiobook for me. Perhaps because I had just finished Baking It Merry and liked it a little more, I found this one harder to enjoy.
It was a fairly classic enemies to lovers/small town boy meets big city girl love story. Lawrence is our small town baker and when Marketing Executive, Elena Voss, comes to town to promote the opening of her company's cookie company, their worlds collide (but not in a positive way). Lawrence fears that the new bakery chain will steal his customer base and threaten his livelihood.
The book was pretty well narrated and I am glad I gave it a listen but it won't stay with me much past this Christmas season.
This was an okay Christmas audiobook for me. Perhaps because I had just finished Baking It Merry and liked it a little more, I found this one harder to enjoy.
It was a fairly classic enemies to lovers/small town boy meets big city girl love story. Lawrence is our small town baker and when Marketing Executive, Elena Voss, comes to town to promote the opening of her company's cookie company, their worlds collide (but not in a positive way). Lawrence fears that the new bakery chain will steal his customer base and threaten his livelihood.
The book was pretty well narrated and I am glad I gave it a listen but it won't stay with me much past this Christmas season.
October 20, 2024
I am a big Hallmark movie fan, and this totally has the same vibes! The rivals to lovers, small town holiday romance was everything i was hoping for. It even had the perfect white floof pup named Sugar stealing the show!
November 27, 2024
Rounding up to 3 because there’s a cookie recipe in the back of the book.
A slow, Christmas romance book featuring a hot baker and a successful/ unhappy in her job, marketing person for Sparkle Cookie (aka Crumble). The small/quaint Christmas town of New Hope is about to get a chain cookie store and Lawrence, the local baker wants to put a stop to it. After meeting Elena he’s blown away by her beauty (and arrogance), but after several encounters will their attraction outlast the holiday cookie battle?
Very slow for me, beyond predictable, but likable characters and lots of cookie talk!
A slow, Christmas romance book featuring a hot baker and a successful/ unhappy in her job, marketing person for Sparkle Cookie (aka Crumble). The small/quaint Christmas town of New Hope is about to get a chain cookie store and Lawrence, the local baker wants to put a stop to it. After meeting Elena he’s blown away by her beauty (and arrogance), but after several encounters will their attraction outlast the holiday cookie battle?
Very slow for me, beyond predictable, but likable characters and lots of cookie talk!
October 8, 2024
I loved this one! And it was clean! Thank u Lord for a cute and clean book!
November 24, 2024
The ending was a little lackluster for me because their conflict was flat. I just didn't feel the connection between them tbh.
December 13, 2024
4,5⭐
Honestly my favorite Christmas read ever !
I like that it was the MMC that was the baker! It gave a twist to a classic Hallmark Christmas movie! It got everything I love !
✅ Small town
✅ Snowstorm / one bed
✅ Rivals to lovers
It is just so cute and festive! The dynamic between the two characters was soo charming! They were needing one another and I feel like they've grown (ok not that much but it is just 300 pages 😉) The epilogue was all I hoped for ❤️🥰
Honestly my favorite Christmas read ever !
I like that it was the MMC that was the baker! It gave a twist to a classic Hallmark Christmas movie! It got everything I love !
✅ Small town
✅ Snowstorm / one bed
✅ Rivals to lovers
It is just so cute and festive! The dynamic between the two characters was soo charming! They were needing one another and I feel like they've grown (ok not that much but it is just 300 pages 😉) The epilogue was all I hoped for ❤️🥰
December 11, 2024
This was sweet and cute. I wanted new unique plot lines though. Hallmark has done the big corporate company verses small town business owner many times and the third act breakup was also very predictable. But it was adorable regardless and the characters were very likable.
December 22, 2024
This was light and sweet and perfectly festive. If you’re looking for hallmark Christmas movie in a book look no further.
January 6, 2025
For a Christmas story I thought it was super cute. Was it cliche? Yes, of course. It's a holiday love story. But I thought the love story was actually done pretty well.
November 9, 2024
I was listening to this one when I was in the car & just couldn’t seem to get into it. I didn’t end up finishing it.
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