LE PARFAIT ROMAN DE NOEL

by Chantel Guertin

AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER

"It Happened One Christmas is irresistibly Christmassy with all the sparkle of a Hallmark movie. So festive I could almost smell the scent of pine through the pages." —Jenny Bayliss, author of Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

A charming and rollicking holiday rom-com about a big-city film director who must convince the dreamy, yet grumpy, mayor of a small town to give her the permit to shoot her Christmas movie in his idyllic hometown. Perfect for fans of Hallmark holiday movies, and readers of Maggie Knox's All I Want for Christmas and The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.

Will her Christmas wish come true?

Zoey Andrews lives and breathes Christmas. She loves everything about the season, and after years of directing countless holiday movies, she certainly knows her way around a festive tale. So, when she finally gets the chance to bring her own script to life, she isn't about to let anything, or anyone, stand in her way--not even the stupidly sexy, utterly frustrating plaid-clad tree farmer Benoît Deschamps. Moonlighting as mayor of Chelsea--the cozy Quebec hamlet at the center of Zoey's screenplay--Ben maddeningly refuses to grant her a film permit in his enchanting town.

With just four days left before Christmas, Zoey must change Ben's mind, but not before an unscripted ice storm leaves them stranded in the middle of nowhere, with nothing except . . . each other.

Will Ben's chilly resolve shatter Zoey's Christmas movie wish? Or will Zoey be able to melt his stubbornness--and maybe even his heart?

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Holiday, Audiobook, Fiction, Adult, Contemporary

376 pages, Paperback

Published November 30, 2024

About the author

Bestselling author of 9 novels --

Rom-Coms:
It Happened One Christmas -- Oct 2023
Gigi, Listening (USA) // Two for the Road (Can) - 2023
Instamom -- A PopSugar Best Beach Read 2021
Stuck in Downward Dog
Love Struck

YA:
The Pippa Greene series:
The Rule of Thirds
Depth of Field
Leading Lines
Golden Hour

Reviews

[Jaime Anderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was SO close to DNFing this book, but I pushed through and so glad to be done it 😂 I’ve never used tabs on a book before this one. I decided to sticky tab every time she mentions Zoeys UGG boots- which was 26 times.

[TacoFan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zoey. Girl. It's only been a few days. Just because he calls you sexy does not mean you need to hook up. To repeat: it's been a few days... I can't even express how annoyed I was at the super stupid break up. As if there wasn't enough drama, you had to go and be super dramatic because an ex shows up. I believe I mentioned that it's been a few days ... what stake do you have claimed, exactly?!? It's been like 3 whole days!!!!!!!! Get some self esteem and self respect!!

I was super annoyed when she randomly decided she needed to leave AT THAT EXACT MOMENT because she saw the guy that she's only known for a few days about to kiss his ex! What did you expect? You aren't in a relationship.

There was wayyyyy too much peril by the way. So many near death experiences. I have no idea how they managed to ever warm up!

I did like that it was set in Canada and had a French Canadian feel about it ( I say this as someone who has no idea what she is talking about). I don't think I've read many books focusing on that so I appreciate what I learned. I loved how even the names were French Canadian. Lastly, I did enjoy the little tidbits of the culture that was thrown in. It didn't quite hit the Hallmark level that I was hoping for.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you do when there’s ONE person standing between you and your dream? When realizing it is so close you can almost taste success. Can Zoey charm her way to the mayor’s heart?

Newly single, with no plans for Christmas and a big dream to fulfill, Zoey Andrews takes on a tremendous workload in the days leading up to the holiday. She works for Epic Productions, a production company, that specializes in holiday movies and has her heart set on shooting an upcoming movie in Chelsea, Quebec. It’s Zoey’s first chance to direct her own movie and she won’t let a small geographical mix-up ruin it all. Can she sort out all the problems and get film permits- a Christmas miracle - days before Christmas?

You’ll be swept up in Zoey’s quest to solve problem after problem that comes between her and her dream. Her resilience and focus are commendable. When Ben becomes part of the problem, Zoey is determined to make him part of the solution!

I loved the references to my hometown and the magic mustard! I enjoyed the sunshine/grumpy and the forced proximity trope as well as the subtle Christmas setting. Guertin’s character development is certainly amazing and I soon learned to like Benoit once I uncovered the reasons for his resistance. Yes, it's predictable. However, I think the protagonist's resilience will keep you turning pages despite knowing how this will all work out.

This isn’t a fluff festive read. There isn't over-the-top chemistry between the characters. BUT - it’s got substance. I heartily recommend it.

I was gifted this copy by Penguin Random House Canada, Doubleday Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

[madame Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

celui-ci, t’as déjà dû le voir passer, maaaais c’est que de lire « Le parfait roman de Noël » c’est aussi de s’imaginer des scènes de films à la Hallmark, c’est de sentir le 🎄 sapin baumier, c’est d’avoir envie de sirop d’érable et c’est du 𝒋𝒆 𝒎’𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒃𝒊𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒂 𝒇𝒊𝒏, mais c’est du bon quand même! 👏🏻🤭

parce que dès que Ben arrive dans l’histoire et qu’on finit par savoir quel rôle il joue pour Chelsea, on se doute de ce qui va se passer, mais de les voir — lui et Zoey, apprendre à se connaître, bien c’est cute comme tout ✨.

j’ai maintenant très hâte au réveillon et je m’imagine très bien ce roman en adaptation cinématographique 🎞️🎿📖👋🏼.

mon verdict? à lire, OUI, dès maintenant et avant Noël sans faute. p’tit grand plus? à lire bien au chaud en écoutant de la musique de Noël ☃️🌬️. un combo parfait pour passer un agréable moment de lecture! 🤍

[Sarah | Kerosene.Lit · Rating 3 out of 5]

After countless roles as director, Zoey Andrews finally has the chance to make her own Christmas movie. She simply needs to secure a permit for its filming location in Chelsea, Quebec. Easy enough! But much to her surprise, Benoît Deschamps—tree farm owner AND mayor—refuses to grant her access.

Ten points for a Christmas romance set in Canada! This one takes the snowed-in trope and adds a little adventure to the mix as Zoey and Benoît work together to survive the freezing conditions. I really enjoyed these characters. Determined to make her movie, not taking no for an answer, Zoey was lovably stubborn. And Benoît was a sweet hero simply wanting to protect his beloved town—for honourable reasons.

But I will say, the romance lacked a genuine buildup for me, making the initial slow burn feel like insta-love by the end. The fast-paced development of their relationship in the second half, especially in regards to the conflict, lost me. I'm not one to care for an epilogue, but I needed just a bit more from this romance.

(heat level: open door, mild details)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[KellyJ1028 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the coziest, sweetest holiday reads I’ve have the pleasure of reading.
I absolutely loved the location, I’ve been to Canada many times (Montreal, Ottawa and surrounding area) and this brought back some wonderful memories for me. Including getting snowed in, in Ottawa, and unable to fly out from the airport.
Absolutely love the characters of Ben and Zoey. But more importantly how each person played a part in their story.
This is one of the most incredible books I’ve read on my holiday TBR. Don’t wait or miss this one!! Read it today!

I would be remiss if I did not mention I ordered this from The Book Drop as a holiday selection and they never fail to find an extraordinary read.

[Allison Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost didn’t finish this book so many times but was determined to finish it with the hopes things would get better. Sadly, they didn’t and I have to give this book a 2 ⭐️ review for so many reasons!

First, neither of the characters were particularly endearing. They were just kinda… meh. And while I can understand Zoey’s motivations for doing things, Ben’s motivations were flimsy at best. They both just felt like poorly planned characters and the plot points were about as weak as the characters.

This whole story could’ve been avoided if 1, Zoey had called ahead of time to arrange an appointment with the mayor before flying all the way to Chelsea, Quebec from
LA (seriously, who approved that flight without approval for permits from the mayor first?!) and 2, Ben wasn’t an asshole who felt the need to toy with Zoey. He could’ve just been a man and told her, when they met at the Christmas tree farm, that he was also the mayor and wouldn’t be issuing a movie permit so she needn’t waste her time. But apparently that’s too hard to do. Both of these plot points to me are stupidly flimsy but alas, they got us into the story where we find out Ben’s reason for denying the permit which is actually ridiculous. I mean, who says no to film permit that’ll bring a bunch of money and tourism to your town because you don’t want the town to change? Especially when that town is struggling financially? Like… please sir, pull your head out of your ass.

Next, the amount of vehicles that were ruined in this book without any emotion is mind blowing to me. If I crashed a rental car into anything I’d be stressed AF. But not Zoey. Apparently to her it’s just a minor inconvenience. Next, Ben’s truck is totalled and lost in a lake. A truck which he kept pristine, a truck which is close to being older than he is. He clearly cares about it yet… he doesn’t say a single word about it being submerged in the lake. Like… how?! Why?! Also, do they ever go back for either of these vehicles? Wouldn’t the rental car company notice if the car isn’t turned in? Does Ben have a back up vehicle? We’ll never know 🤷🏼‍♀️

Next, I can’t stop thinking about what happened in the cabin. I mean yay for finding a cabin in the middle of nowhere but can we just talk about the sex scene for a minute? It was the driest, most selfish I’ve read in a long time. It’s one that would’ve been better left as a closed door because that might’ve at least left some bit of passion. If you’re going to write a sex scene, please at least make sure your characters aren’t going to be selfish. Be like Oprah. “You get an O, you get an O!” Also, if you’re going to have a scene between 2 people who barely know each other, please have them use protection. We don’t need any diseases or unplanned pregnancies. This is fiction. There’s no reason out fictional men can’t do better both in how generous they are and how safe they are.

After their sexy night together, Ben doesn’t mention it and neither does Zoey and she’s fixated on Delphine, Ben’s ex. She knows he’ll be seeing her when he gets home and, despite Ben never being the one to bring her up and him seeming pretty unemotional about her when he does speak about her (prompted by Zoey, of course) this is a huge sticking point for Zoey. And, truthfully, it’s a pretty lame one.

So, they get out of the cabin because Ben miraculously finds a snowmobile that happens to become our third vehicle casualty of this book. Because apparently, in all of his excitement, he forgot to worry about gas and, when they run out of it in the middle of the forest, the snowmobile is just left there. I hope it’s enjoying its new life with the woodland creatures because presumably, that’s where it now lives given we didn’t get a follow up on that either.

Finally, they make it back home for Reveillon, Ben’s entire motivation for getting home. Zoey was going to go to the airport because Ben hadn’t asked her to join him, even though he hinted at it, but then when he asks her she’s all excited. At this point I’m tired of Zoey’s games and her just not being forthcoming with what she wants. Anyway, she stays and after a good afternoon with his family, the party starts. A little while in, Delphine shows up and Ben greets her with a kiss on each cheek, a greeting that’s used often in this book between many people. And she gets jealous. And then she happens to see Delphine kiss Ben while using Ben’s nephew’s drone and instead of just waiting a couple more seconds to see how it pans out she just takes the headset off and freaks out and tries to run away.

Ben chases after her and convinces her he wants her as his right now. She decides to stay and they spend Christmas morning together where he gifts her with a film permit, the whole reason she went to the town in the first place that she seemed to only momentarily remember after their dramatic foray into the ice storm. Anyway, she’s excited and then… the story ends. So… that’s it? We’re not going to follow up on anything? Am I just supposed to believe these characters who have known each other for 3 days, who didn’t have all that much chemistry, and were at each others throats for the good first part of the book have what it takes to go the distance? Or are they just a short term romance that ends when she goes back to LA? Does she go back to LA? Does he go with her? And, most important, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VEHICLES?!!

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay.
I enjoyed the small town Quebec setting and the realistic Winter weather.
I did not enjoy the weird development between the two MCs.
They start off as "enemies" (which I use in the loosest of terms) and it seemed like a slow burn was going to be in the mix.
This all flipped about halfway and suddenly the book becomes an insta love???
Made the book feel very disjointed.
Still an okay read, just not something I would revisit.

[Jena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Maybe not the most unique book out there, but I had fun. This book started off with a surprisingly engaging tone and semi-unique premise. Unfortunately, I feel as though as the romance progressed the story became more and more generic. Still, I had fun with this light, holiday read. I also loved all the Canadian references :)

[Ciara · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I had to read one more line about UGG boots…

Points for having Blake and Gwen’s “You Make It Feel Like Christmas” on the playlist though.

[Janssen]

It was fine - kind of dragged for me.

[shereadswith_coffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess I’m not the only one who loves Christmas!
Zoey Andrews lives in LA as a film director and has all her Holiday bulbs in one basket as she travels to Quebec, Canada to pitch her movie screenplay to the Mayor and shop owners in the quaint and nostalgic town of Chelsea.

Little does she know, the resistance and refusal she will receive from Benoît Deschamps (Ben), the Mayor and owner of the most amazing Christmas Tree Farm, which happens to be the main setting for her movie.

As Zoey arrives in Chelsea, she surprisingly keeps “running” into Ben, before she even knows who he is and how much his interest and support will mean to her.
Once she realizes he will not be giving her the permit she needs to film her movie, she heads out to a nearby town at his suggestion. During her drive, an anticipated ice storm hits the town with a vengeance, leaving her stranded. Ben happens to be passing Zoey on his way to drop off his infamous maple syrup, and picks her up alongside her crashed car. They drive together in the worst of storms and end up stranded together in a cabin without electricity, water and no cell service. Will this time alone be enough for Zoey to convince Ben to grant her the permit?

“It Happened One Christmas” by Chantel Guertin is fun, flirty and wistful. A Hallmark of the Holidays! A festive narrative filled with tradition giving you reason to believe.
Thank you @ChantelGuertin for this eARC.

[Lindsey Domokur · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt exactly like how a holiday movie would feel if I were watching it. Insta-love isn't my favorite and this is exactly what this is. While the couple went through a dramatic and traumatic time over the course of 24 hours, I am not sure how much I believe in being in love and a HEA after that amount of time. For the sake of the holidays and this being a fluffy read, let's say it is possible. There was some odd drama that never really went anywhere, and a few scenes that made me a bit uncomfortable, but overall it was a fine fluffy Christmas read. If you are wanting a book full of holiday cheer, this one might be for you.

[Ashley *Booksbrewsandbarks* · Rating 2 out of 5]

After a very promising first half, this book fell like a 100 ton brick. With an ice storm scene that lasted FAR too long and characters that are extremely grating (especially on audio but probably no better in physical book form), this very predictable romance made me cringe and gag at how overly tropey it was and how pathetic the female protagonist became. It's never a good thing when three quarters thru a book, you forget what the actual plot of the story was supposed to be because it lost its way so much. To add insult to injury, the "ending" is full of eye rolls and would be best to described as abrupt.

[Brittany Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not worth reading. There wasn’t much of a plot, the characters were boring and the ending sucked.

I honestly think a majority of this book was about the state of Zoey’s UGGs 😑

[Chloé Couture · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

J'ai apprécié ma lecture mais j'ai décroché à certains moments dû à certains clichés "québécois" qui peuvent être intéressants pour des lecteurs d'ailleurs mais qui m'ont semblé trop "déjà-vu" pour moi. L'idée de base était intéressante mais j'ai trouvé qu'on s'éloignait du sujet principal pendant une trop grande partie du roman. Heureusement j'ai apprécié la fin qui m'a laissé sur note finale réconfortante.

[Tracey Dyck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in the mood for a light and fluffy Hallmark-y romance, and this book fit the bill, cheesiness and all. Bonus points for the Canadian winter setting! I enjoyed learning about some of Quebec’s Christmas traditions.

Some of the character development felt a little rushed toward the end, and there was one open-door scene—which is a higher spice level than I personally prefer.

Definitely want some maple taffy on snow now, though (aka “tire” in French)!

[Abbey Gilbert · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was cute? But also super annoying & the only person I actually liked was Simon the dog

[sara ࿐ྂ · Rating 3 out of 5]

˗ˏˋ꒰🎄꒱ 𝟯 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀
↠━༻◆༺━↞

ᴺᵒʷ ᵖˡᵃʸᶦⁿᵍ; [ 𝙄𝙩 𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙨 ] [ 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻]
1:07 ——◦———— -4:05
↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ

» 。° .• {🔴} ༄
I wanted to read a Christmas novel during the month of December in order to get into the Christmas spirit, so I decided to read It Happened One Christmas. I don’t know what I was expecting, or to have high expectations since authors quickly push out Christmas novels that have the same plot line and characters. It Happened One Christmas was the same, in my opinion.


༄ {🟢} .• ° 。«
It felt like I was reading a version of a Hallmark movie. A city girl goes to a small town in order to fulfill her dreams and falls in love with a small town boy. People find comfort in the familiarity of movies, which is why Hallmark Christmas movies and these types of Christmas books are so popular. If you like repetitive tropes and plotlines, then you will love It Happened One Christmas.

» 。° .• {🔴} ༄
I like depth and originality in my stories so I didn’t connect with this story. There are a few questions I still have after finishing, like what happened with the main character and her sister, how did the movie filming go, and where is the main character going to live. It just felt incomplete and it would have been nice to have an epilogue.


.。༅:*ﾟ𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ꒱


{❄} ·˚ 𝗭𝗼𝗲𝘆 ˊˎ
༻————↠
I don’t think Zoey was ready for a relationship. All she was breathing, consuming, and talking about was her holiday movie and didn’t allow anyone else to talk about anything else. It was annoying how self-obsessed she was and I feel like she didn’t change. She allowed maybe twice for Ben to talk about himself and then put all the focus back on her.

{❄} ·˚ 𝗕𝗲𝗻 ˊˎ
༺————↞
Ben was okay. He didn’t really have anything going for him except for speaking French, being the mayor, and owning a Christmas tree farm. Oh, and being hot, according to Zoey. I don’t think either one of them opened up enough to be able to have a stable relationship or spend enough time with one another. With Ben’s lack of personality as well, I don’t see how Zoey liked him either.


↠━ {🔴} 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ━↞
Overall, this was a good Christmas novel to get into the Christmas spirit. It wasn’t a life changing story or something I would pick up again but it was just what I needed to feel like it was Christmas.


{🎄} ––––———–––––———–┊༄

» 。° .• 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 ༄
༻————↠
I need to lock in with the Christmas reads. I'm not in the Christmas spirit and it makes me so sad.

[Alex-Ann Théberge · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️ Une belle romance de noël comme je les aime. J’ai moins aimé les thermes un peu clichés/stéréotypes québécois (poutine, sirop d’érable, etc.). Et j’aurais aimé en savoir plus sur l’histoire d’amour à long terme des personnages étant donné qu’ils habitent dans des pays différents.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, It Happened One Christmas, by Chantel Guertin, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Zoey Andrews loves Christmas, she has directed numerous holiday movies, this year she gets direct one she wrote herself, she finds the perfect setting in Quebec but the mayor will not let her film in his town. What will Zoey do? Can she change the scrooge of a mayors mind, or will she have to find another location to film her holiday movie? This was a nice Christmas read.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a feel-good, Hallmark movie esque Holiday romance that sees a movie producer trying to convince the mayor of a small, picturesque, rural Quebec town to let her film her holiday movie there.

Full of great enemies to lovers tension and tons of small town charm, this was great on audio read by new to me narrator, Amelia Sargisson.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @librofm for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

[Robyn Covell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read a Holiday book before, so I figured it was time to jump on the band wagon. I think I might be hooked!! Was it sometimes a little unrealistic? Yes. Were the characters a little predictable? Yes. Was it filled with swooney holiday feels and genuine entertainment? Also YES! I just might read it every year.

[Alysia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoey Andrews lives and breathes Christmas. As the holiday season approaches, she’s so excited to finally be directing her own Christmas film this year instead of someone else’s. She knows the perfect place for her movie and that’s right in Chelsea, Canada. The only issue is that once she’s arrived she’s immediately told NO by the mayor, Benoît “Ben” Deschamps.

After repeatedly being turned down, Zoey makes her way to Wakefield the town over whose mayor is fully onboard. After spinning out one too many times, who would find her sledding on her butt down a hill but Ben himself. As he prepares to get her to Wakefield, a severe snow storm is brewing throwing both of them off their tracks…and into one another.

Read if you like:
❄️ grumpy x sunshine
❄️ forced proximity
❄️ slow burn
❄️ enemies to lovers

The only *teeny* issue I had was the insta-love at the end. They went from hating each other for about 60% of the book to being in love within the last few chapters which wasn’t my fave.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the copy of my ebook!

[Tanya Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely, cozy and fun Christmas story.

The mayor of Chelsey QB, which also happens to be the handsome tree farm owner, refuses to give her a permit to film her Christmas movie.

She decides to finally go to the next town over but there’s an ice storm that changes all the plans. And of course, they’re stuck together, and it is quite the adventure!

I loved that the setting is in Canada and that even Shediac Bridge is mentioned! I live so close to there, it was kinda cool!

I had a little hard time with the long chapters and I thought the beginning was a little bit slow (probably because I kept fixating on how long the chapters were) but once I passed that and started to really read for the story, it was just right!!

I would recommend for a cozy and cute Christmas story!

[Daphnée Domingue · Rating 3 out of 5]

ouainnnnn
c’est bon, mais quétaine et sans plus
BEAUCOUP d’incohérences selon moi + le nombre de fois où les UGGS sont mentionnés, j’espère que l’autrice a recu une subvention ahah!!

petite romance de noel cute

[Kiret · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute. Could have been better

[Lisa (Remarkablylisa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 STARS. the whole trapped in a snow storm thing took a long time and it dragged the story towards the end but overall, still an enjoyable holiday read. I love Quebec so this was fun.

[Rayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

[Eli lit pour la cause · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75