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The Christmas Countdown
From the author of The Christmas Wager comes a charming holiday rom com about a young, recently heartbroken woman who is tasked by her sister to complete Advent calendar challenges in the lead up to Christmas to reignite her belief in herself, the holidays, and love again.
She’s given up on love and Christmas…but fate has other plans.
All Callie wants for Christmas is to hibernate. She's still reeling from being dumped by her childhood sweetheart, and under no circumstances will she go home for the holidays considering her ex will be right next door with his new, perfect partner. Callie is officially in grinch mode, but her meddling sister, Anita, won’t let her give up on life, love, and Christmas quite so easily.
Anita stages a Christmas intervention for Callie with a homemade Advent calendar challenge—cheerful tasks to push Callie out of her comfort zone and into the holiday spirit, inspired by a childhood tradition. Callie reluctantly plays along, but when she comes face-to-face with a charming baker who just might be the spoonful of sugar she needs, her strict rules on love and the holidays are tested.
As they strike a deal to do the activities together, could the twenty four little doors on Callie’s Advent calendar not only open up one, but two closed-off hearts?
She’s given up on love and Christmas…but fate has other plans.
All Callie wants for Christmas is to hibernate. She's still reeling from being dumped by her childhood sweetheart, and under no circumstances will she go home for the holidays considering her ex will be right next door with his new, perfect partner. Callie is officially in grinch mode, but her meddling sister, Anita, won’t let her give up on life, love, and Christmas quite so easily.
Anita stages a Christmas intervention for Callie with a homemade Advent calendar challenge—cheerful tasks to push Callie out of her comfort zone and into the holiday spirit, inspired by a childhood tradition. Callie reluctantly plays along, but when she comes face-to-face with a charming baker who just might be the spoonful of sugar she needs, her strict rules on love and the holidays are tested.
As they strike a deal to do the activities together, could the twenty four little doors on Callie’s Advent calendar not only open up one, but two closed-off hearts?
320 pages, Paperback
First published October 22, 2024
431 people are currently reading
13518 people want to read
About the author
Holly Cassidy
2 books232 followersAlso known as Hannah Mary McKinnon
Holly Cassidy is the pen name for internationally bestselling author Hannah Mary McKinnon. Her multiple and twisty suspense novels and thrillers include Never Coming Home, The Revenge List, Only One Survives, and A Killer Motive.
She wrote the light-hearted holiday romantic comedies The Christmas Wager and The Christmas Countdown as Holly Cassidy.
McKinnon was born in England, grew up in Switzerland, and now lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and three sons.
Connect on:
Facebook www.facebook.com/hannahmarymckinnon
Instagram www.instagram.comhannahmarymckinnon
For more, visit www.hannahmarymckinnon.com or www.hollycassidyauthor.com
Holly Cassidy is the pen name for internationally bestselling author Hannah Mary McKinnon. Her multiple and twisty suspense novels and thrillers include Never Coming Home, The Revenge List, Only One Survives, and A Killer Motive.
She wrote the light-hearted holiday romantic comedies The Christmas Wager and The Christmas Countdown as Holly Cassidy.
McKinnon was born in England, grew up in Switzerland, and now lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and three sons.
Connect on:
Facebook www.facebook.com/hannahmarymckinnon
Instagram www.instagram.comhannahmarymckinnon
For more, visit www.hannahmarymckinnon.com or www.hollycassidyauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,169 reviews
December 13, 2024
This is exactly what the cover suggests, a fluffy Christmas romance full of cheer.
We follow our main character, Callie, who is spending her first Christmas as a singleton after her long-term partner ditched her for someone more exciting.
To combat the Christmas blues, Callie's sister Anita organises a giant advent calendar full of treats and tasks to get Callie out of her comfort zone and build back her confidence.
This book is cute, and it was great to read a romance where the female character is smart and doesn't make stupid errors to drive the plot forward.
This is everything a 2024 romance release should look like.
Four stars.
We follow our main character, Callie, who is spending her first Christmas as a singleton after her long-term partner ditched her for someone more exciting.
To combat the Christmas blues, Callie's sister Anita organises a giant advent calendar full of treats and tasks to get Callie out of her comfort zone and build back her confidence.
This book is cute, and it was great to read a romance where the female character is smart and doesn't make stupid errors to drive the plot forward.
This is everything a 2024 romance release should look like.
Four stars.
October 17, 2024
I love Hannah Mary McKinnon’s thrillers so when I learned through THE BUZZ that she released a Christmas novel, I jumped at the chance to read it! Thank you for the free/gifted book Putnam Books!! The Christmas Calendar did not disappoint and definitely got me in the festive spirit!
Callie is still reeling from a breakup as the holidays approach. When she learns her ex partner (and hometown neighbor) of ten years is now engaged just mere months after their split, Callie knows there is no way she can face her family or hometown for Christmas. To get her in the Christmas spirit and bring back an old tradition, her sister creates an advent calendar alternating treats and tasks.
I loved the advent calendar concept, the treats and tasks Anita came up with, and that Callie put herself out there to complete the activities and find her festive joy. The love interest(s) were great - if not a little too good to be true! - and the connections felt authentic. Callie was a good person and it was easy to root for her. I also appreciated that she had so much personal and professional growth during the book that took place outside the romantic interests.
If you’re looking for a clean romance to help you get in the holiday mood, I can’t recommend this one enough!
Callie is still reeling from a breakup as the holidays approach. When she learns her ex partner (and hometown neighbor) of ten years is now engaged just mere months after their split, Callie knows there is no way she can face her family or hometown for Christmas. To get her in the Christmas spirit and bring back an old tradition, her sister creates an advent calendar alternating treats and tasks.
I loved the advent calendar concept, the treats and tasks Anita came up with, and that Callie put herself out there to complete the activities and find her festive joy. The love interest(s) were great - if not a little too good to be true! - and the connections felt authentic. Callie was a good person and it was easy to root for her. I also appreciated that she had so much personal and professional growth during the book that took place outside the romantic interests.
If you’re looking for a clean romance to help you get in the holiday mood, I can’t recommend this one enough!
November 21, 2024
There wasn’t anything inherently wrong about this one; I just found it a little too slow for my liking. Still, if you’re looking for a story filled with Christmas activities, this one might hit the spot. Callie is encouraged by her sister to take part in an Advent calendar challenge, with each day bringing a festive activity or gift. It was such a sweet concept.
Eventually joining her in the challenge is Marco, a charming baker who further helps push Callie out of her comfort zone and move on from her ex. I appreciated the idea of Callie finding comfort in Marco and finally feeling free to be herself, but their dialogue and banter felt so awkward and stale. The chemistry just wasn’t there for me.
(heat level: fade to black)
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Eventually joining her in the challenge is Marco, a charming baker who further helps push Callie out of her comfort zone and move on from her ex. I appreciated the idea of Callie finding comfort in Marco and finally feeling free to be herself, but their dialogue and banter felt so awkward and stale. The chemistry just wasn’t there for me.
(heat level: fade to black)
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 13, 2025
.Guys… this is such a cute book!!! Thank you soo much @putnambooks @hollycassidyauthor for my gorgeous gifted copy!! 🎅 I loved it!
Callie N Oliver Forever ✌️Right?! WRONG… 😳… Oliver totally dumped his childhood sweetheart… yes they have known each other for a long time… and rebounds… to another girl..😒… Never fear… Anita is here!! Our girl Callie is so lucky that she has an amazing sister!! 🥰Anita is NOT going to let Callie be the grinchiest of grinches for Christmas! 🎄 What did I love?? 🔽
✅ A whole new spin on an Advent calendar 📅 made for a very fun read! In fact each chapter counts down the days to Christmas as well. 😉
✅ Likeable characters!! I loved everyone.. well except Oliver. 😒.. but Oliver made his own bed.. 🤷♀️ BYE ✌️ dude.
✅ Sister power! These girls had a bond like no other! 🥰
✅ Grinch cocktails 🍸🍸🍸
✅Marco
✅ Marco
✅Did I say Marco yet? 😂 Well helloo book boyfriend 😉
SO this was the PERFECT book to kick off the holiday season with!! I felt a little grinchy picking it up in October… but that all disappeared on page one!! By the time I put this down… well I watched a Christmas movie 🍿 after. 😳🤫🤫🤫 I am telling you… this book was my Christmas Fuel!! So add this one to your list!! Pub date is TOMORROW 10/22🥳🥳
I can TOTALLY see this as a Hallmark movie!! All the cuteness but also great characters with a story to tell!!
Callie N Oliver Forever ✌️Right?! WRONG… 😳… Oliver totally dumped his childhood sweetheart… yes they have known each other for a long time… and rebounds… to another girl..😒… Never fear… Anita is here!! Our girl Callie is so lucky that she has an amazing sister!! 🥰Anita is NOT going to let Callie be the grinchiest of grinches for Christmas! 🎄 What did I love?? 🔽
✅ A whole new spin on an Advent calendar 📅 made for a very fun read! In fact each chapter counts down the days to Christmas as well. 😉
✅ Likeable characters!! I loved everyone.. well except Oliver. 😒.. but Oliver made his own bed.. 🤷♀️ BYE ✌️ dude.
✅ Sister power! These girls had a bond like no other! 🥰
✅ Grinch cocktails 🍸🍸🍸
✅Marco
✅ Marco
✅Did I say Marco yet? 😂 Well helloo book boyfriend 😉
SO this was the PERFECT book to kick off the holiday season with!! I felt a little grinchy picking it up in October… but that all disappeared on page one!! By the time I put this down… well I watched a Christmas movie 🍿 after. 😳🤫🤫🤫 I am telling you… this book was my Christmas Fuel!! So add this one to your list!! Pub date is TOMORROW 10/22🥳🥳
I can TOTALLY see this as a Hallmark movie!! All the cuteness but also great characters with a story to tell!!
September 9, 2025
Okay, first of all—this book is SO relatable!!🙌🏻
Callie’s moments of awkwardness and flusteredness had me laughing because, honestly, we've all been there.
She says the funniest (and sometimes cringiest) stuff around her crush, and I couldn't help but feel for her. But it’s also so real, which is what I loved about it.👾💗
The family dynamic in this book is so wholesome—they’re always there, checking in on Callie, making sure she’s good. It felt really comforting and warm.🥹
I really appreciated the little details about the surroundings too. The way Holly Cassidy paints the scenes is like stepping into those so vividly and beautifully described places.🌸🫶🏼
One thing I think could’ve been explored more was how hard it can be to move on from a long relationship—there was a bit of that in there, but I felt like they could’ve gone deeper with it. There’s definitely some emotional weight there that I felt could’ve been highlighted a bit more.😬
Overall, I loved how the story kept things simple yet so powerful. It showed Callie’s growth in a way that felt so relatable and refreshing—she stayed calm, avoided the typical rom-com mistakes, and kept things real.
A perfect feel-good holiday read! 🤌🏻💖
Callie’s moments of awkwardness and flusteredness had me laughing because, honestly, we've all been there.
She says the funniest (and sometimes cringiest) stuff around her crush, and I couldn't help but feel for her. But it’s also so real, which is what I loved about it.👾💗
The family dynamic in this book is so wholesome—they’re always there, checking in on Callie, making sure she’s good. It felt really comforting and warm.🥹
I really appreciated the little details about the surroundings too. The way Holly Cassidy paints the scenes is like stepping into those so vividly and beautifully described places.🌸🫶🏼
One thing I think could’ve been explored more was how hard it can be to move on from a long relationship—there was a bit of that in there, but I felt like they could’ve gone deeper with it. There’s definitely some emotional weight there that I felt could’ve been highlighted a bit more.😬
Overall, I loved how the story kept things simple yet so powerful. It showed Callie’s growth in a way that felt so relatable and refreshing—she stayed calm, avoided the typical rom-com mistakes, and kept things real.
A perfect feel-good holiday read! 🤌🏻💖
November 20, 2024
Christmas contemporary romcom without spice and loads of feel good. Add to that a coming of age story that will leave you feeling accomplished.
# The Christmas Countdown
# 11/7/2024 ~ 11/11/2024
# 4.0 / 5.0
# The Christmas Countdown
# 11/7/2024 ~ 11/11/2024
# 4.0 / 5.0
November 29, 2024
if a man called me “swiss miss”, I’d throat punch him on sight *guffaw*
October 20, 2024
This has such a fun premise, Callie’s sister makes an advent style calendar for her with treats and tasks to help get her more excited for the holidays after a breakup. There are so many festive happenings, constant Christmas cheer and it’s coupled with a sweet developing romance that I enjoyed. The narrator was delightful and did a great job!
June 26, 2024
3.5 stars, rounded up because of how chock-full of holiday feels it was!
I loved the premise of this. The main character Callie has been devastated by a breakup with her long-term boyfriend and does not want to celebrate Christmas, so her sister Anita creates an advent calendar for Callie. The calendar is half filled with little gifts; the other half consists of festive tasks that Callie has to complete.
When I say this book is chock-full of Christmas elements, I am not at all exaggerating. From sledding, to sipping hot chocolate, to making Christmas cookies and candy, this book had it all. It was so festive and fun! I wanted to participate in all the fun events.
I liked the romance well enough, especially the emphasis on honesty in their relationship and how open they were with each other. However, the (closed door) sex scenes seemed a bit out of place in what was otherwise a perfectly clean and wholesome book. It didn’t really fit with the overall tone.
Still, I’d definitely recommend this book for those who love Christmas books or Hallmark Christmas movies.
I loved the premise of this. The main character Callie has been devastated by a breakup with her long-term boyfriend and does not want to celebrate Christmas, so her sister Anita creates an advent calendar for Callie. The calendar is half filled with little gifts; the other half consists of festive tasks that Callie has to complete.
When I say this book is chock-full of Christmas elements, I am not at all exaggerating. From sledding, to sipping hot chocolate, to making Christmas cookies and candy, this book had it all. It was so festive and fun! I wanted to participate in all the fun events.
I liked the romance well enough, especially the emphasis on honesty in their relationship and how open they were with each other. However, the (closed door) sex scenes seemed a bit out of place in what was otherwise a perfectly clean and wholesome book. It didn’t really fit with the overall tone.
Still, I’d definitely recommend this book for those who love Christmas books or Hallmark Christmas movies.
December 4, 2024
Such a great and cute book to start my Christmas readathon! Marco was the sweetest ever, I loved the Christmas vibes and I wished I had a sister like Anita!!
November 20, 2024
really cute, love the advent calendar idea, got me in a festive mood, not insanely cheesy (but still cheesy as a holiday romance naturally is)
January 4, 2025
3.5⭐️ This was cute, definitely had the holiday vibes and enjoyable characters- but it was also slow at times and for me, nothing really stood out to make it a memorable read.
November 2, 2024
5 Holly Jolly Stars 🎄
October 18, 2024
Recently dumped Callie wants to ignore Christmas this year but her sister won't let her. She arranges a series of Christmas countdown challenges and treats and implores Callie to find someone to help her with them when she can't do it herself. Enter baker Marco who enthusiastically volunteers to help Callie with the challenges. The more time they spend together, the closer Callie and Marco get learning to take a chance on love again together. A cozy, Hallmark Holiday movie style romcom with a bit of closed door spice and lots of charm. Highly recommended for fans of authors like Jenny Bayliss. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
Read
November 21, 2024Dnf 25%
Pandemic reference 😔 ruined the vibes bringing real world reference
Pandemic reference 😔 ruined the vibes bringing real world reference
December 8, 2024
I enjoyed when the plot was just driven by accounting.
December 12, 2024
Well, it was Christmas and there was a countdown.
December 14, 2024
3.5⭐️
This book gave me what I wanted out of a cute, cozy holiday romance. Easy to listen to in one sitting.
This book gave me what I wanted out of a cute, cozy holiday romance. Easy to listen to in one sitting.
December 9, 2024
This is one of those books that will definitely put you in a festive mood. Callie has had a tough year due to a break-up, and she isn't planning on going home for the holidays. Her sister surprises her with an advent calendar, alternating treat days and task days, with all the tasks aimed at getting Callie to interact with the world and to help her find some Christmas spirit. And of course there's romance to be found along the way.
I was drawn in immediately by the advent calendar concept. Sure, Callie's sister is a meddler, but it was also so incredibly sweet and caring of her to go out of her way to put together this entire advent calendar, which immediately showed the strength of their sibling bond. It was so fun to find out what would be the treat or task on every new day.
Callie quickly meets Marco and ends up spending a lot of time with him over the course of the month. When her sister has to travel for work, he replaces her on most of the task days. In a romance, I really enjoy seeing the couple having fun on dates, so this worked so well for me.
I will say this book was a somewhat slower read, but that really worked for me here. I loved the level of detail in which every day, and especially every date, was described. This book truly lived up to its incredibly fun premisse.
I was drawn in immediately by the advent calendar concept. Sure, Callie's sister is a meddler, but it was also so incredibly sweet and caring of her to go out of her way to put together this entire advent calendar, which immediately showed the strength of their sibling bond. It was so fun to find out what would be the treat or task on every new day.
Callie quickly meets Marco and ends up spending a lot of time with him over the course of the month. When her sister has to travel for work, he replaces her on most of the task days. In a romance, I really enjoy seeing the couple having fun on dates, so this worked so well for me.
I will say this book was a somewhat slower read, but that really worked for me here. I loved the level of detail in which every day, and especially every date, was described. This book truly lived up to its incredibly fun premisse.
December 11, 2025
Cute! I love the characters and advent calendar🎄💕
December 11, 2024
A feel good romcom about letting go of the past and finding happiness again.
The Christmas Countdown advent gifts/challenges was SO MUCH FUN!! I want someone to do this for me!! :)
My first holiday read of the season and I was highly entertained!
This would make a great Hallmark movie! Highly recommend picking this one up this holiday season.
My thanks to Penguin Random House Canada for my gifted copy.
The Christmas Countdown advent gifts/challenges was SO MUCH FUN!! I want someone to do this for me!! :)
My first holiday read of the season and I was highly entertained!
This would make a great Hallmark movie! Highly recommend picking this one up this holiday season.
My thanks to Penguin Random House Canada for my gifted copy.
December 7, 2024
THE GOOD:
Absolutely lovely. Simply the best holiday feel-good rom-com you could ask for.
Callie is a sweetheart, but tender, cautious, and slowly healing from heartbreak. Her sister Anita is a total kick-in-the-pants. The new romantic interests for Callie are genuine good guys.
The small details in this novel really put it over the top: Corny but fun puns, numerous delicious desserts (especially the Swiss ones), descriptions of Bucket List locales and why the characters want to visit (again, especially the Swiss ones). These had me reaching for my phone to look up recipes and travel sites to bookmark them for later!
The Advent Calendar that Anita comes up with for Callie was truly splendid!
THE BAD:
The cover: I absolutely hate it. While it does accurately represent the story, it really doesn’t represent the joyous spirit of healing and love that this book represents.
For those who prefer more traditional clean fiction: Callie’s sister Anita is into women rather than men. Also, there are a few light romantic scenes - not overly graphic, but a bit more than a fade-to-black style.
A few language snafus from this Swiss/ Canadian author — small verbiage choices that would not be used by these American characters (“fairy lights”, “on offer”, etc.)
CONCLUSION:
Highly recommend. This could definitely be my pick for *the* holiday pick of 2024.
Absolutely lovely. Simply the best holiday feel-good rom-com you could ask for.
Callie is a sweetheart, but tender, cautious, and slowly healing from heartbreak. Her sister Anita is a total kick-in-the-pants. The new romantic interests for Callie are genuine good guys.
The small details in this novel really put it over the top: Corny but fun puns, numerous delicious desserts (especially the Swiss ones), descriptions of Bucket List locales and why the characters want to visit (again, especially the Swiss ones). These had me reaching for my phone to look up recipes and travel sites to bookmark them for later!
The Advent Calendar that Anita comes up with for Callie was truly splendid!
THE BAD:
The cover: I absolutely hate it. While it does accurately represent the story, it really doesn’t represent the joyous spirit of healing and love that this book represents.
For those who prefer more traditional clean fiction: Callie’s sister Anita is into women rather than men. Also, there are a few light romantic scenes - not overly graphic, but a bit more than a fade-to-black style.
A few language snafus from this Swiss/ Canadian author — small verbiage choices that would not be used by these American characters (“fairy lights”, “on offer”, etc.)
CONCLUSION:
Highly recommend. This could definitely be my pick for *the* holiday pick of 2024.
December 17, 2024
3.5⭐️ it’s been a while since I’ve dove into a Christmas romance book and this one was the cutest holiday rom-com (a little cringey though)!
December 22, 2024
Сладка, но предсказуема
December 20, 2024
Mehhhhhh, the characters just felt very one-dimensional
November 11, 2024
Amusing, sweet, and delightfully festive!
The Christmas Countdown is a cosy, heartwarming holiday read that takes you into the life of Callie, an intelligent young woman whose sister is determined to help her get out of her funk of being dumped by creating an advent calendar extraordinaire that’s bursting with nostalgia, special tasks and lots of interesting challenges for her to complete.
The prose is warm and light. The characters are lonely, friendly, and thoughtful. And the plot is a cute, engaging tale full of friendship, family, romance, workplace drama, tender moments, self-discovery, merry preparations, and love.
Overall, The Christmas Countdown is a fun, uplifting, adorable wintery treat by Cassidy that left me yearning for snowflakes, decorated trees, twinkling lights, and scrumptious treats.
The Christmas Countdown is a cosy, heartwarming holiday read that takes you into the life of Callie, an intelligent young woman whose sister is determined to help her get out of her funk of being dumped by creating an advent calendar extraordinaire that’s bursting with nostalgia, special tasks and lots of interesting challenges for her to complete.
The prose is warm and light. The characters are lonely, friendly, and thoughtful. And the plot is a cute, engaging tale full of friendship, family, romance, workplace drama, tender moments, self-discovery, merry preparations, and love.
Overall, The Christmas Countdown is a fun, uplifting, adorable wintery treat by Cassidy that left me yearning for snowflakes, decorated trees, twinkling lights, and scrumptious treats.
June 23, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy. I was so happy to read a Christmas story in June! You can never start Christmas themed books too early.
Callie is going through a rough patch. She moved to a new city with her longtime boyfriend. She also got hired at the same company. After being there for only a few months Oliver dumps her for someone else. Thankfully Callie can move in with her sister Anita who lives in the same town. Callie is devastated by the breakup and is in no mood to celebrate Christmas. Anita puts together a Christmas advent calendar of boxes filled with either a task or a treat.
This was an enjoyable read. Definite Hallmark vibes, which I love.
Callie is going through a rough patch. She moved to a new city with her longtime boyfriend. She also got hired at the same company. After being there for only a few months Oliver dumps her for someone else. Thankfully Callie can move in with her sister Anita who lives in the same town. Callie is devastated by the breakup and is in no mood to celebrate Christmas. Anita puts together a Christmas advent calendar of boxes filled with either a task or a treat.
This was an enjoyable read. Definite Hallmark vibes, which I love.
October 24, 2024
THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN is a beautiful book of family, friendship, and letting go. It is such a fun story, yes a bit predictable, but exactly what I was craving at the time. My emotions were all over the place while reading. Ms. Cassidy has such a talent for bringing the characters to life and making you feel as if they are your friends. You will experience all the feelings and struggles they are going through. When they were sad, I felt sad. When they were happy I found myself smiling. I love it when an author can do that to me and Holly Cassidy did it perfectly.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Fresh Fiction. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
You can read my full review at:
https://freshfiction.com/review.php?i...
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Fresh Fiction. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
You can read my full review at:
https://freshfiction.com/review.php?i...
November 22, 2024
that was a christmas book. the premise of this was pretty cute, i liked their relationship, but it all just felt pretty shallow. the third act conflict was interesting but not really fleshed out enough. even tho it sometimes felt like the characters were talking just to give background info, it was still a quick fun holiday read. like 2.5 stars?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,169 reviews