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The Spite Before Christmas
Margie Murphy is fifty-two and doing just fine on her own, thank you very much. She never needed, nor wanted a man. After all, they have only ever hurt or left her. Between Amelia, the niece she raised to adulthood, and her viral YouTube channel that reflects her colorful personality and skills in the kitchen, Margie has everything she ever needed. Almost.
After three years, Frank Campbell, is still grieving the wife he lost to cancer. His sons want him to grow and heal, and urge him to downsize and move out of their family home. When Frank agrees, he finds himself living in a country house, ripe for extreme Christmas decorating–something he does to honor his late wife each year. Things seem to be working out, until his new next door neighbor, Margie, comes charging over and tries to shut down his Christmas joy.
Tension only grows when the two learn they are co-sponsors for the small town Christmas Market, and will have to put their differences aside in order to make it a success. But it’s hard to collaborate, when the top seller at the Christmas Market will take home a prize for the charity of their choice. And Frank’s charity could have a very real impact on his sick granddaughter.
Soon the two are battling both at home and in pursuit of the charity prize. Between trying to sabotage each other’s efforts, Margie and Frank don’t know how they will survive as neighbors. But one enthusiastic little girl, an aging basset hound, a weather disaster, and a little Christmas magic will force them to put their differences aside and learn that life can still begin anew after fifty.
This small-town, enemies-to-lovers, Christmas romance is part of the Ruston Festival series, but can be read as a standalone. This is an open door romance and contains themes of grief, childhood illness, and references to domestic abuse, but has a guaranteed HEA.
After three years, Frank Campbell, is still grieving the wife he lost to cancer. His sons want him to grow and heal, and urge him to downsize and move out of their family home. When Frank agrees, he finds himself living in a country house, ripe for extreme Christmas decorating–something he does to honor his late wife each year. Things seem to be working out, until his new next door neighbor, Margie, comes charging over and tries to shut down his Christmas joy.
Tension only grows when the two learn they are co-sponsors for the small town Christmas Market, and will have to put their differences aside in order to make it a success. But it’s hard to collaborate, when the top seller at the Christmas Market will take home a prize for the charity of their choice. And Frank’s charity could have a very real impact on his sick granddaughter.
Soon the two are battling both at home and in pursuit of the charity prize. Between trying to sabotage each other’s efforts, Margie and Frank don’t know how they will survive as neighbors. But one enthusiastic little girl, an aging basset hound, a weather disaster, and a little Christmas magic will force them to put their differences aside and learn that life can still begin anew after fifty.
This small-town, enemies-to-lovers, Christmas romance is part of the Ruston Festival series, but can be read as a standalone. This is an open door romance and contains themes of grief, childhood illness, and references to domestic abuse, but has a guaranteed HEA.
334 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2024
6 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Booth
10 books165 followersJessica is a lifelong reader and writer. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and professional writing before making a career in journalism and editing. Jessica has always dreamed of writing a book, and her love for novels spurred her into becoming an avid bookstagrammer (@readbelievelove).
Jessica grew up in North Louisiana, but now resides in Southwestern Ohio with her husband, pack of rowdy children, and a couple of hounds. They love to spend their time together visiting independent book stores, outside digging up worms, and transforming piles of sticks into castles.
Jessica grew up in North Louisiana, but now resides in Southwestern Ohio with her husband, pack of rowdy children, and a couple of hounds. They love to spend their time together visiting independent book stores, outside digging up worms, and transforming piles of sticks into castles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
August 19, 2024
Five stars. No notes. Totally my unbiased opinion as the author. ;)
November 1, 2024
The Spite Before Christmas
Jessica Booth
Pub: 11/1
4-4.5☆
Oh my gosh the way in which I adored this one. It was festive, funny, and gave me ALL the feels.
Margie and Frank’s story was an absolute delight to read from beginning to end. Later in life romance isn’t something I’ve read too much of, but I gotta say… I am digging it. The banter, the neighbor shenanigans, the humor, and the steam were all SO well done. There are some heavier themes (check TW’s) but Booth writes them in a way that keeps the story light hearted and thoroughly enjoyable.
What I loved;
🎄Small Town Romance
🎄Enemies To Lovers
🎄Second Chance
🎄Black Cat/Golden Retriever
🎄Love After 50
🎄Biscuit
This is the perfect lil feisty/festive romance to get you primed for holiday reading season. Thank you, Partner, @bookedwiththeemilys @jessicaboothauthor
Jessica Booth
Pub: 11/1
4-4.5☆
Oh my gosh the way in which I adored this one. It was festive, funny, and gave me ALL the feels.
Margie and Frank’s story was an absolute delight to read from beginning to end. Later in life romance isn’t something I’ve read too much of, but I gotta say… I am digging it. The banter, the neighbor shenanigans, the humor, and the steam were all SO well done. There are some heavier themes (check TW’s) but Booth writes them in a way that keeps the story light hearted and thoroughly enjoyable.
What I loved;
🎄Small Town Romance
🎄Enemies To Lovers
🎄Second Chance
🎄Black Cat/Golden Retriever
🎄Love After 50
🎄Biscuit
This is the perfect lil feisty/festive romance to get you primed for holiday reading season. Thank you, Partner, @bookedwiththeemilys @jessicaboothauthor
December 3, 2025
If you have been reading the Ruston Festival Series, then you would have met Margie Murphy in book one, A Match Made in Autumn. However you do not need to have read the other books in the series to dive right into to this one. In The Spite Before Christmas, Amelia (Margie's niece) asks Margie to help out with sponsoring the small town Christmas Market. With Margies social media following from all of her jam making, she agrees. She always agrees to anything for Amelia.
Across the street from Margie, Frank Campbell has just moved in. He lost his wife to cancer just a few years back, and decided to downsize. He ends up co-sponsoring the Christmas market with his woodworking side hustle. One thing about Frank, he loves Christmas. His house is completely decked out in all of the Christmas decor. He just didn't know he was moving in next to The Grinch.
Margie can’t stand all of the Christmas decorations, or the traffic that is backed up so that they can drive by Frank's home. Her and Frank begin to go to war, and the tension between the two continue to build. But Margie keeps finding out new things about Frank that show maybe he's not the enemy she thought he was.
📝I loved this book. Margie is the best and she has a fire to her that I absolutely adore. Frank has a great heart and was able to keep up with Margie's attitude. Franks relationship with his family is also beautiful, just like Amelia's. The tension in this book was perfect and kept me turning the pages.
Across the street from Margie, Frank Campbell has just moved in. He lost his wife to cancer just a few years back, and decided to downsize. He ends up co-sponsoring the Christmas market with his woodworking side hustle. One thing about Frank, he loves Christmas. His house is completely decked out in all of the Christmas decor. He just didn't know he was moving in next to The Grinch.
Margie can’t stand all of the Christmas decorations, or the traffic that is backed up so that they can drive by Frank's home. Her and Frank begin to go to war, and the tension between the two continue to build. But Margie keeps finding out new things about Frank that show maybe he's not the enemy she thought he was.
📝I loved this book. Margie is the best and she has a fire to her that I absolutely adore. Frank has a great heart and was able to keep up with Margie's attitude. Franks relationship with his family is also beautiful, just like Amelia's. The tension in this book was perfect and kept me turning the pages.
November 23, 2025
Reread on audio November 2025:
I enjoy trying beloved books in other formats, so when I heard there was an audio of Margie I was all in! And narrated by Jake McAskill & Andria Mae?
Yes please!
These two manage to instill even more layers of emotion to an already wonderful story.
Love when that happens.
Much love to Jessica Booth & Booked With The Emilys for my ALC!
Original review November 2024:
Margie, Margie, Margie, how I love thee!
She has been my favourite character since she first appeared in AMMIA.
To say I was excited she was getting her own HEA would be an understatement.
She is feisty and fierce and everything I hope I will be when I grow up.
This book shows us a softer side of Margie and I ain't made about getting her backstory.
I do wish there was a bit more of that feisty side portrayed in here, but I am always looking for more black cat energy.
The spice was so well done and the gentle development between Frank and Margie was perfection!
Much love to Jessica for always presenting hugs in the form of books!
I enjoy trying beloved books in other formats, so when I heard there was an audio of Margie I was all in! And narrated by Jake McAskill & Andria Mae?
Yes please!
These two manage to instill even more layers of emotion to an already wonderful story.
Love when that happens.
Much love to Jessica Booth & Booked With The Emilys for my ALC!
Original review November 2024:
Margie, Margie, Margie, how I love thee!
She has been my favourite character since she first appeared in AMMIA.
To say I was excited she was getting her own HEA would be an understatement.
She is feisty and fierce and everything I hope I will be when I grow up.
This book shows us a softer side of Margie and I ain't made about getting her backstory.
I do wish there was a bit more of that feisty side portrayed in here, but I am always looking for more black cat energy.
The spice was so well done and the gentle development between Frank and Margie was perfection!
Much love to Jessica for always presenting hugs in the form of books!
September 29, 2024
When I say this book is EVERYTHING, I mean it. I'm so angry it's over!
Full of banter and Christmas cheer right alongside spite and a dog and a child. Just UGHHHH. I have no words for the AMAZINGNESS!!!!
Just trust me when I say you need to read this and feel all the feelings, CAUSE IT'S WORTH IT!!!
Full of banter and Christmas cheer right alongside spite and a dog and a child. Just UGHHHH. I have no words for the AMAZINGNESS!!!!
Just trust me when I say you need to read this and feel all the feelings, CAUSE IT'S WORTH IT!!!
November 21, 2024
I adore the author's books and her latest is a spicy romance that brings healing to her hurting protagonists. Also fun and very funny, this is one to read with delight. A great holiday gift for the romantics in your life!
December 23, 2024
4.5 stars.
Margie has everything she needs. Or so she thinks. She’s been doing just fine without a man in her life. She has her niece, Amelia, and her viral Youtube cooking channel, which lets her personality and kitchen skills shine.
Frank is still grieving his wife that he lost to cancer. His kids have convinced him to downsize and he finds himself moving into a country house, which is the last thing he expected. But, the house is perfect for all-out Christmas decorating which he does each year to honor his late wife.
Margie hates Christmas and she hates Frank’s Christmas display which she sees every single night from her front window. The tension only grows when the two of them learn they are co-sponsors for the Ruston Christmas Market. They must put their differences aside in order to make the event a success, which is proving quite difficult to do when the top seller will take home a prize for a charity of their choice.
A winter weather disaster, a sweet old basset hound, and a spunky little girl will force Frank and Margie to look at the broader picture, and perhaps they will learn that there’s more to life than they thought after fifty.
Read if you like:
- grumpy/sunshine
- love after 50
- small town romance
This was such a good holiday read. I laughed out loud, I cried, I flew through this book. This is the fourth book in the Ruston Festival Series but can be read as a standalone.
I enjoyed the enemies to lovers dynamic and the fact that our main characters are older. The overall shenanigans of Margie and Frank is funny, their banter is top notch, and the romance is really sweet. Jessica does a great job of handling tough topics like childhood illness, domestic abuse, and grief.
Overall, I recommend this book, among the rest in the series. Read it now, while we still have few days left until Christmas! You can find it on Kindle Unlimited.
Margie has everything she needs. Or so she thinks. She’s been doing just fine without a man in her life. She has her niece, Amelia, and her viral Youtube cooking channel, which lets her personality and kitchen skills shine.
Frank is still grieving his wife that he lost to cancer. His kids have convinced him to downsize and he finds himself moving into a country house, which is the last thing he expected. But, the house is perfect for all-out Christmas decorating which he does each year to honor his late wife.
Margie hates Christmas and she hates Frank’s Christmas display which she sees every single night from her front window. The tension only grows when the two of them learn they are co-sponsors for the Ruston Christmas Market. They must put their differences aside in order to make the event a success, which is proving quite difficult to do when the top seller will take home a prize for a charity of their choice.
A winter weather disaster, a sweet old basset hound, and a spunky little girl will force Frank and Margie to look at the broader picture, and perhaps they will learn that there’s more to life than they thought after fifty.
Read if you like:
- grumpy/sunshine
- love after 50
- small town romance
This was such a good holiday read. I laughed out loud, I cried, I flew through this book. This is the fourth book in the Ruston Festival Series but can be read as a standalone.
I enjoyed the enemies to lovers dynamic and the fact that our main characters are older. The overall shenanigans of Margie and Frank is funny, their banter is top notch, and the romance is really sweet. Jessica does a great job of handling tough topics like childhood illness, domestic abuse, and grief.
Overall, I recommend this book, among the rest in the series. Read it now, while we still have few days left until Christmas! You can find it on Kindle Unlimited.
November 4, 2024
Margie Murphy thought she gave up on any chance of romance more than 25 years ago when she suddenly became the guardian of her niece, Amelia. Since then, she’s dedicated her life to making sure Amelia’s was great. Recently she’s had more time and turned her hobby of jamming into a business. Which is perfect for the holiday market that Amelia is putting on this year in town! Amelia needs a co-sponsor for the market, and it ends up being Margie’s brand-new neighbor Frank. This would be fine except Frank immediately turned his yard into a Christmas spectacle and Margie hates it - and isn’t afraid to tell him that. Will these two be able to put aside their differences - and very different feelings about Christmas - in order to make the market a success?
This was SO much more than I was expecting! I love enemies to lovers and black cat-golden retriever and was looking forward to these two fighting back and forth over Christmas decorations. What I got was a lovely story about two kinds of grief and people finally feeling safe enough to work through it. I highly recommend this book. It’s part of the author’s Rustin festival series but can definitely be read as a standalone! I read A Match Made in Autumn earlier in the fall and it’s nice to get more time with some of the same characters!
This was SO much more than I was expecting! I love enemies to lovers and black cat-golden retriever and was looking forward to these two fighting back and forth over Christmas decorations. What I got was a lovely story about two kinds of grief and people finally feeling safe enough to work through it. I highly recommend this book. It’s part of the author’s Rustin festival series but can definitely be read as a standalone! I read A Match Made in Autumn earlier in the fall and it’s nice to get more time with some of the same characters!
October 26, 2024
This was absolutely perfect!!! 😍
Full review soon ❤️
Full review soon ❤️
November 1, 2024
Thank you @jessicaboothauthor for the gifted eARC! 💕
I have officially read all of Jessica’s books and I can say each and every one of them is extremely memorable! I have read more Christmasy books so far this year and it’s great because I can compare what makes this one unique! I think this book is perfect for readers that want some meat on the bones for their Christmas books! What I mean by that is, this book has a fun and playful Christmas competition, an adorable and sweet child, humorous banter between the main characters but also tackles harder topics like domestic abuse, long term illness and grief. It is extremely well written and I can tell you I devoured this one in one day! Both of the main characters Margie and Frank were easy to be smitten with. Margie was sassy, competitive, decisive and a bit of a scrooge while Frank was a big teddy bear, kind, thoughtful and just plain ‘ole sweet. His love for Christmas decor and his granddaughter just made my heart melt. I couldn’t ask for anything more in this beautifully written book and think you need to add this one to your TBR stat! It publishes tomorrow so you don’t have to wait long!
I have officially read all of Jessica’s books and I can say each and every one of them is extremely memorable! I have read more Christmasy books so far this year and it’s great because I can compare what makes this one unique! I think this book is perfect for readers that want some meat on the bones for their Christmas books! What I mean by that is, this book has a fun and playful Christmas competition, an adorable and sweet child, humorous banter between the main characters but also tackles harder topics like domestic abuse, long term illness and grief. It is extremely well written and I can tell you I devoured this one in one day! Both of the main characters Margie and Frank were easy to be smitten with. Margie was sassy, competitive, decisive and a bit of a scrooge while Frank was a big teddy bear, kind, thoughtful and just plain ‘ole sweet. His love for Christmas decor and his granddaughter just made my heart melt. I couldn’t ask for anything more in this beautifully written book and think you need to add this one to your TBR stat! It publishes tomorrow so you don’t have to wait long!
November 5, 2024
Spice: 2
Tropes:
widower
maturely aged fmc/mmc
enemies to lovers
black cat/ golden retriever
neighbor wars
holiday vibes
Dual POV
The Spite Before Christmas was super cute! First, let's all clap our hands for a FMC that isn't 18-22 years old! Margie is in her early 50s, a YouTube sensation with her jam videos, a bourbon drinker, a spitfire, and she doesn't take crap from no man. I'll be honest, in the first third of the book, I thought Margie was a bit of a Grinch. She wasn't being very neighborly to her new, handsome neighbor Frank, and she complained about everything (in between drinking sips of bourbon lol). But I quickly changed my tune and loved that she is super firey and she was able to see the err in her ways. Also.... I think by the end I realized I have a little Margie in me and thank goodness my husband is a Frank and likes it lol.
Frank, the MMC, is also appropriately aged in his 50s. He's a widower with 2 grown sons and the most adorable little granddaughter. Once a Grinch, Frank loves Christmas now. When you think of the decorations he does to his house during Christmas holiday, picture the Christmas Vacation house on steriods with alligators, mardi gra floats, and Santa's balls...... yep I said that. LOL I just loved Frank! He was charming, caring, and his intentions are so pure. He helps take care of his grandbaby and that relationship was great to read.
Okay, I got ahead of myself because I loved these 2 characters. The Spite Before Christmas is about Frank moving into a new, smaller home, across the street from Margie. His over-the-top Christmas display, sets Margie on edge- she's not a big fan of the holiday- and right off the bat, she stomps her butt over to Frank's to let him have it. A rivalry begins, which doesn't help that both are co-sponsers of the Christmas Market (Thanks Lia, Margie's niece). What ensues is 2 people attracted to each other but who drive each other nuts. Thankfully a snow storm moves in and may, just maybe, forces something to grow 3 sizes.
I'll definitely be reading the other books in the Ruston Festival series!
Tropes:
widower
maturely aged fmc/mmc
enemies to lovers
black cat/ golden retriever
neighbor wars
holiday vibes
Dual POV
The Spite Before Christmas was super cute! First, let's all clap our hands for a FMC that isn't 18-22 years old! Margie is in her early 50s, a YouTube sensation with her jam videos, a bourbon drinker, a spitfire, and she doesn't take crap from no man. I'll be honest, in the first third of the book, I thought Margie was a bit of a Grinch. She wasn't being very neighborly to her new, handsome neighbor Frank, and she complained about everything (in between drinking sips of bourbon lol). But I quickly changed my tune and loved that she is super firey and she was able to see the err in her ways. Also.... I think by the end I realized I have a little Margie in me and thank goodness my husband is a Frank and likes it lol.
Frank, the MMC, is also appropriately aged in his 50s. He's a widower with 2 grown sons and the most adorable little granddaughter. Once a Grinch, Frank loves Christmas now. When you think of the decorations he does to his house during Christmas holiday, picture the Christmas Vacation house on steriods with alligators, mardi gra floats, and Santa's balls...... yep I said that. LOL I just loved Frank! He was charming, caring, and his intentions are so pure. He helps take care of his grandbaby and that relationship was great to read.
Okay, I got ahead of myself because I loved these 2 characters. The Spite Before Christmas is about Frank moving into a new, smaller home, across the street from Margie. His over-the-top Christmas display, sets Margie on edge- she's not a big fan of the holiday- and right off the bat, she stomps her butt over to Frank's to let him have it. A rivalry begins, which doesn't help that both are co-sponsers of the Christmas Market (Thanks Lia, Margie's niece). What ensues is 2 people attracted to each other but who drive each other nuts. Thankfully a snow storm moves in and may, just maybe, forces something to grow 3 sizes.
I'll definitely be reading the other books in the Ruston Festival series!
December 3, 2025
Listening to the narrators in a duet style audio was amazing as they brought the characters to life. I really enjoyed this cozy romance. It was extremely fun to read a black cat/golden retriever story as I don’t read this trope often but I have been really enjoying reading FMC that are not always happy. I love that this story could be read as a standalone but I will be make sure to read the rest of the books in the series.
November 8, 2024
This Christmas novel by Jessica Booth was so sweet. I loved that the main characters are older, you don't find that with many romances. It was easier to connect with them knowing they each came with baggage that I could relate too. I loved that Margie was the grumpy one, sort of a she-grinch if you will. Frank is Christmas's biggest fan, right along with his adorable granddaughter. This was a great start to my holiday reading! Thank you to Jessica Booth and Booked With the Emily's for a chance to read this in exchange for my opinion. My opinion, I loved it!
October 25, 2024
I received a free ARC of this book for honest review and here it is. I absolutely loved this book! I am not a christmas person so I felt like I understood Margie. But Frank's love for Christmas was contagious. His granddaughter was adorable. And Biscuit the basset hound was the icing on the cake. All the characters in this book were fantastic and very lifelike. I am hoping that Amelia and her mom Jo will have a future together. There has to be a reunion!
This book had all the feel goods and it made me laugh, then cry, then laugh again. It had one of my favorite tropes... enemies to lovers. It dealt with past trauma, medical issues, domestic violence, broken homes, etc. But it was all done with tact and grace. Each character had their past and their story and they all wove together to make an amazing book. I don't normally care for books that jump back and forth in time but it was clear what happened when so it was easy to follow. The book wouldn't have been the same without that either.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone. Great characters, a capturing plot, just enough spice, adorable animals and a fun story all in one great book. @jessicaboothauthor
This book had all the feel goods and it made me laugh, then cry, then laugh again. It had one of my favorite tropes... enemies to lovers. It dealt with past trauma, medical issues, domestic violence, broken homes, etc. But it was all done with tact and grace. Each character had their past and their story and they all wove together to make an amazing book. I don't normally care for books that jump back and forth in time but it was clear what happened when so it was easy to follow. The book wouldn't have been the same without that either.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone. Great characters, a capturing plot, just enough spice, adorable animals and a fun story all in one great book. @jessicaboothauthor
December 16, 2024
Format: 📖
𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐲?🎅
✨𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙡𝙡 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝘼𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩:
🎄 A festive feud that lights up the neighborhood (and not just with Christmas lights!)
🎅 Margie, a tough cookie who doesn’t hold back on her opinions
🏡 Frank, the sweet neighbor with a “go big or go home” attitude towards holiday decor
🧁 A soft spot for family, traditions, and second chances
💘 Enemies to lovers
🏡 Small town charm
✨𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨:
I enjoyed this book! Margie is a tough cookie and I was cringing multiple times throughout the beginning of the book with her behavior toward Frank and his decorations. Her stubbornness hilarious and relatable - I hate Christmas music when it plays too early 😂 As the reader, of course I knew the reason behind Frank’s larger than life Christmas decor, which really led me to develop a soft spot for him and his family. Frank’s motivation and dedication to his family traditions made him easy to root for no matter the issues he’s facing.
I definitely could empathize with Margie too, though… some of the things she dealt with were outrageous with the noise and lights. The author does a fantastic job of showing the realistic struggles she faces but also shows us the softer side to her. I loved that these characters were in their 50s – they have had love and loss and families, and experienced so much life already. It really helped round out the plot, adding layers of depth that made their rivalry and eventual connection feel genuine.
And of course I love a HEA and this one definitely delivered! Watching these two find common ground and seeing how their histories shaped them made the happy ending so satisfying. If you’re looking for a holiday read that combines humor, heart, and a dash of rivalry, The Spite Before Christmas is perfect! 🎄
𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 @𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒍𝒚𝒏𝒔_𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒆
𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐲?🎅
✨𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙡𝙡 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝘼𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩:
🎄 A festive feud that lights up the neighborhood (and not just with Christmas lights!)
🎅 Margie, a tough cookie who doesn’t hold back on her opinions
🏡 Frank, the sweet neighbor with a “go big or go home” attitude towards holiday decor
🧁 A soft spot for family, traditions, and second chances
💘 Enemies to lovers
🏡 Small town charm
✨𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨:
I enjoyed this book! Margie is a tough cookie and I was cringing multiple times throughout the beginning of the book with her behavior toward Frank and his decorations. Her stubbornness hilarious and relatable - I hate Christmas music when it plays too early 😂 As the reader, of course I knew the reason behind Frank’s larger than life Christmas decor, which really led me to develop a soft spot for him and his family. Frank’s motivation and dedication to his family traditions made him easy to root for no matter the issues he’s facing.
I definitely could empathize with Margie too, though… some of the things she dealt with were outrageous with the noise and lights. The author does a fantastic job of showing the realistic struggles she faces but also shows us the softer side to her. I loved that these characters were in their 50s – they have had love and loss and families, and experienced so much life already. It really helped round out the plot, adding layers of depth that made their rivalry and eventual connection feel genuine.
And of course I love a HEA and this one definitely delivered! Watching these two find common ground and seeing how their histories shaped them made the happy ending so satisfying. If you’re looking for a holiday read that combines humor, heart, and a dash of rivalry, The Spite Before Christmas is perfect! 🎄
𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 @𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒍𝒚𝒏𝒔_𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒆
October 10, 2024
The Spite Before Christmas has become one of my favorite Christmas reads!
Margie is in her fifties and lives alone. She recently got a new neighbor Frank who lives next door and is around her age. He is a widow who loves woodworking and Christmas. Frank gets joy out of decorating the outside of his new house. He does it for his late wife who loved Christmas. The display is huge and he wins yard of the year.
Margie does not care for Christmas or her new neighbor. She has to sit in traffic each night just to get into her driveway because everyone is lined up to see Frank’s house. She realizes she will be seeing a lot of him because they are both participating in the town's Christmas market. They are matched up against each other to see who gets the most sales. One night Frank's granddaughter Julia walks into Julia's "she-shed" While Julia is making jam for the market. She and Margie hit it off immediately which then leads to a spark between her and Frank.
I loved watching Frank and Margie’s love blossom. I enjoyed all the characters in the book, especially Julia. She was such a sweet kid. This book will give you all the feels, one minute you will be laughing, especially with the bathroom scene, and the next minute you will feel sad when we learn about Margie’s past
This is a must-read for the holiday season!
Thank you so much Jessica Booth for an eARC!
Margie is in her fifties and lives alone. She recently got a new neighbor Frank who lives next door and is around her age. He is a widow who loves woodworking and Christmas. Frank gets joy out of decorating the outside of his new house. He does it for his late wife who loved Christmas. The display is huge and he wins yard of the year.
Margie does not care for Christmas or her new neighbor. She has to sit in traffic each night just to get into her driveway because everyone is lined up to see Frank’s house. She realizes she will be seeing a lot of him because they are both participating in the town's Christmas market. They are matched up against each other to see who gets the most sales. One night Frank's granddaughter Julia walks into Julia's "she-shed" While Julia is making jam for the market. She and Margie hit it off immediately which then leads to a spark between her and Frank.
I loved watching Frank and Margie’s love blossom. I enjoyed all the characters in the book, especially Julia. She was such a sweet kid. This book will give you all the feels, one minute you will be laughing, especially with the bathroom scene, and the next minute you will feel sad when we learn about Margie’s past
This is a must-read for the holiday season!
Thank you so much Jessica Booth for an eARC!
December 2, 2025
TLDR: read if you love holiday spirit, enemies/rivals to lovers, found family vibes, a cozy snowed in moment, some open door spice featuring MCs who are 40+, and small town Christmas shenanigans. Great duet narration if you go the audiobook route :) ebook is available on KU!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a perfect read to get me in the festive spirit!!!! I absolutely adored Margie when we met her in A Match Made In Autumn, as Amelia’s aunt, but you don’t have to read that one to understand or love this one. Margie is feisty, stubborn, strong, and knows what she’s about. She’s also apparently a bit curmudgeonly when it comes to Christmas decor, ESPECIALLY before Thanksgiving.
When Frank, who lost his wife to cancer 3 years prior, decides to downsize and move into the house next to Margie, he continues honoring his wife’s passion of going all out for the holidays… and Margie is livid. Then, Margie and Frank unknowingly end up as co-sponsors of Ruston’s Christmas Market, forced to do press and work together to make the event successful. But the top seller of the Christmas market will take home a prize AND get their charity donation from event earnings matched by a local business… which creates tension between the two, encouraging sabotage and competitiveness. But when Frank, his granddaughter, Julia, and Margie get snowed in on their remote street with no power or help in sight, will they find a way to put their differences aside and embrace the holiday spirit?
🎧 Andria Mae and Jake McAskill did an EXCELLENT job bringing Margie and Frank to life!! Their voices and energy exactly matched what I wanted for the characters and they did a great job narrating side character dialogue as well. The emotion came through and the playful yet tense nature of Margie and Frank’s dynamic throughout the book was brought to life so beautifully through their duet narration!
Thank you SO much to Jessica Booth and Booked With the Emilys for the gifted ALC! All opinions are my own.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a perfect read to get me in the festive spirit!!!! I absolutely adored Margie when we met her in A Match Made In Autumn, as Amelia’s aunt, but you don’t have to read that one to understand or love this one. Margie is feisty, stubborn, strong, and knows what she’s about. She’s also apparently a bit curmudgeonly when it comes to Christmas decor, ESPECIALLY before Thanksgiving.
When Frank, who lost his wife to cancer 3 years prior, decides to downsize and move into the house next to Margie, he continues honoring his wife’s passion of going all out for the holidays… and Margie is livid. Then, Margie and Frank unknowingly end up as co-sponsors of Ruston’s Christmas Market, forced to do press and work together to make the event successful. But the top seller of the Christmas market will take home a prize AND get their charity donation from event earnings matched by a local business… which creates tension between the two, encouraging sabotage and competitiveness. But when Frank, his granddaughter, Julia, and Margie get snowed in on their remote street with no power or help in sight, will they find a way to put their differences aside and embrace the holiday spirit?
🎧 Andria Mae and Jake McAskill did an EXCELLENT job bringing Margie and Frank to life!! Their voices and energy exactly matched what I wanted for the characters and they did a great job narrating side character dialogue as well. The emotion came through and the playful yet tense nature of Margie and Frank’s dynamic throughout the book was brought to life so beautifully through their duet narration!
Thank you SO much to Jessica Booth and Booked With the Emilys for the gifted ALC! All opinions are my own.
November 12, 2024
Margie is quite content living life by herself, running her YouTube channel, and knowing that she successfully raised her neice on her own. Her life is thrown on its head when her new neighbor, Frank, moves in. He's downsizing his house after losing his wife, but to honor her momory, he goes all out on decorating his house in Christmas decorations. This absolutely infuriates Margie because it causes quite a ruckus in her normally quiet existence. To make matters worse they are co-sponsoring their smalltown Christmas Market, but the huge caveat in this is that it's a competition between the two of them on who can sell the most to raise money for their charity of choice. Will they be able to set aside their differences to get a new start at happiness? Or will their petty bickering leave them out in the cold this Christmas?
The Spite Before Christmas was an enemies to lovers, reverse grumpy sunshine, second chance at love romance. I really like that both of the MCs were in their fifties because we don't typically get to read books with characters in that age range. I wouldn't call this a romcom because this book deals with some very heavy topics. Both MCs are dealing with their own grief, which affects them each differently. Frank is the one who wants to decorate and share his love of Christmas with everyone in the go big or go home kind of way and Margie is the Grinch who wants absolutely nothing to do with Christmas anymore. Of course, these two butt heads from day one. The petty antics Margie and Frank got up to to spite each other in the beginning were just too hilarious. Yet fate and Frank's adorable granddaughter intervene, and as Frank and Margie get to know each other, they both begin to heal and find happiness. I loved this one so much more than I initially anticipated I was going to.
The Spite Before Christmas was an enemies to lovers, reverse grumpy sunshine, second chance at love romance. I really like that both of the MCs were in their fifties because we don't typically get to read books with characters in that age range. I wouldn't call this a romcom because this book deals with some very heavy topics. Both MCs are dealing with their own grief, which affects them each differently. Frank is the one who wants to decorate and share his love of Christmas with everyone in the go big or go home kind of way and Margie is the Grinch who wants absolutely nothing to do with Christmas anymore. Of course, these two butt heads from day one. The petty antics Margie and Frank got up to to spite each other in the beginning were just too hilarious. Yet fate and Frank's adorable granddaughter intervene, and as Frank and Margie get to know each other, they both begin to heal and find happiness. I loved this one so much more than I initially anticipated I was going to.
November 6, 2024
This book was delightful, I enjoyed it from the very beginning and it should definitely be added to your holiday TBR.
Margie likes her quiet life, and even if she doesn't really love Christmas she is looking forward to spending some time with her niece. Margie's quiet life comes to an end when Frank moves in next door, think if Clark Griswold becomes your new neighbor!
Here are the things I loved about this book:
🎅🏻 The banter! These two characters battle for much of the book and it is so much fun! Even when they move on from enemies to a sort of friendship they still have some fun banter.
🎄The prank war Frank and Margie engage in 😂
🎅🏻 The Christmas market competition.
🎄 Older characters: I really liked that Margie and Frank were in their 50's, I don't read a lot of books with older characters and I enjoyed the different perspective. Especially since I may or not be closer in age to Margie and Frank than I am to most other books I read.
🎅🏻 The holiday vibes: the decorations, the music, the snow/ice, the warm apple cider, the cookies, and Santa and his elf; all of it added to the cozy feels of this book.
🎄 It was romantic and spicy!
🎅🏻 There are heavier moments that were handled so carefully (check TW) but didn't take away from the sweet story, just added some context to these characters. You don't get to your 50's without living some life!
🎄 The family and found family is excellent.
🎅🏻 Biscuit the basset hound.
This is my first book by this author and I am excited to read more from her. The Spite Before Christmas is out now and is available with Kindle Unlimited.
Margie likes her quiet life, and even if she doesn't really love Christmas she is looking forward to spending some time with her niece. Margie's quiet life comes to an end when Frank moves in next door, think if Clark Griswold becomes your new neighbor!
Here are the things I loved about this book:
🎅🏻 The banter! These two characters battle for much of the book and it is so much fun! Even when they move on from enemies to a sort of friendship they still have some fun banter.
🎄The prank war Frank and Margie engage in 😂
🎅🏻 The Christmas market competition.
🎄 Older characters: I really liked that Margie and Frank were in their 50's, I don't read a lot of books with older characters and I enjoyed the different perspective. Especially since I may or not be closer in age to Margie and Frank than I am to most other books I read.
🎅🏻 The holiday vibes: the decorations, the music, the snow/ice, the warm apple cider, the cookies, and Santa and his elf; all of it added to the cozy feels of this book.
🎄 It was romantic and spicy!
🎅🏻 There are heavier moments that were handled so carefully (check TW) but didn't take away from the sweet story, just added some context to these characters. You don't get to your 50's without living some life!
🎄 The family and found family is excellent.
🎅🏻 Biscuit the basset hound.
This is my first book by this author and I am excited to read more from her. The Spite Before Christmas is out now and is available with Kindle Unlimited.
November 11, 2024
Official rating: 4 ⭐
There's not much bad to say here. I want to start with how I think it started a little slow for my liking. I was surprised by the sprinkle of dual timeline Margie povs (in a good way). I really wish we focused just a bit more on past events because it was very interesting. I believe this book is a good fun palette cleanser. I didn't have to think, just vibed out. I am Margie in some ways. I've been burned by people too much, I'm slow to trust. And for unrelated reasons I don't get into the Christmas spirit that much, I'm more into dark spooky things like Halloween. That being said, I would personally fight my neighbor if they put up Christmas decor before Thanksgiving. Obviously reading about Margie doing just that, made me laugh so hard. The only other gripe I have is I think the book could be 20 pages shorter. It felt a little dragged after having Christmas dinner. But all in all, I had a great time reading this.
There's not much bad to say here. I want to start with how I think it started a little slow for my liking. I was surprised by the sprinkle of dual timeline Margie povs (in a good way). I really wish we focused just a bit more on past events because it was very interesting. I believe this book is a good fun palette cleanser. I didn't have to think, just vibed out. I am Margie in some ways. I've been burned by people too much, I'm slow to trust. And for unrelated reasons I don't get into the Christmas spirit that much, I'm more into dark spooky things like Halloween. That being said, I would personally fight my neighbor if they put up Christmas decor before Thanksgiving. Obviously reading about Margie doing just that, made me laugh so hard. The only other gripe I have is I think the book could be 20 pages shorter. It felt a little dragged after having Christmas dinner. But all in all, I had a great time reading this.
November 14, 2024
A sweet ‘later in life’ holiday romance 🎄
This is a very cute holiday book with Hallmark-y vibes. I love a later in life love story. They are both older with a lot of baggage from the past.
Margie is tough as nails but she’s so caring underneath it all. She came off as extremely bitter at first and it was hard for me to like her. You do actually understand her more later in the book though. I liked her in the second half of the book and ended up loving her strength.
And then there’s Frank. What a sweetheart of a man. He was so attentive and kind. I loved him so much. He was perfect.
This had made tearing up in parts but ultimately it was an incredibly sweet love story between two people who thought they’d never find love again. Plus there’s a cute granddaughter and basset hound too! 💚
Check trigger warnings if you have any because there’s quite a few in this one.
This is a very cute holiday book with Hallmark-y vibes. I love a later in life love story. They are both older with a lot of baggage from the past.
Margie is tough as nails but she’s so caring underneath it all. She came off as extremely bitter at first and it was hard for me to like her. You do actually understand her more later in the book though. I liked her in the second half of the book and ended up loving her strength.
And then there’s Frank. What a sweetheart of a man. He was so attentive and kind. I loved him so much. He was perfect.
This had made tearing up in parts but ultimately it was an incredibly sweet love story between two people who thought they’d never find love again. Plus there’s a cute granddaughter and basset hound too! 💚
Check trigger warnings if you have any because there’s quite a few in this one.
November 6, 2024
Margie is 52 and hasn’t enjoyed Christmas since an awful one years ago that left her raising her niece Amelia. Now that Amelia is grown, Margie runs a viral YouTube channel dedicated to cooking. Frank’s wife passed away three years ago, and he finally decides to move into a smaller home. He moves in right next door to Margie, and unfortunately, things get off to a rocky start. Frank loves Christmas and covers his lawn in a massive display that irks Margie…and she isn’t afraid to let him know. Things get even more heated when they find themselves working together as co-sponsors for the town’s Christmas Market…and soon they find themselves falling for each other.
This was a really cute and enjoyable Christmas romance. I loved the small town and enemies to lovers vibes. It was really nice to read a book with characters who were a bit older than I typically see in romance books. Seeing both Frank and Margie take a second chance at love was really sweet. Their arguments and resulting shenanigans over Christmas decorations were a fun touch. This book also touches on some really heavy topics, including grief, and I thought it did so in a really thoughtful way.
Thank you, Partner, @bookedwiththeemilys and @jessicaboothauthor.
This was a really cute and enjoyable Christmas romance. I loved the small town and enemies to lovers vibes. It was really nice to read a book with characters who were a bit older than I typically see in romance books. Seeing both Frank and Margie take a second chance at love was really sweet. Their arguments and resulting shenanigans over Christmas decorations were a fun touch. This book also touches on some really heavy topics, including grief, and I thought it did so in a really thoughtful way.
Thank you, Partner, @bookedwiththeemilys and @jessicaboothauthor.
November 14, 2025
Such a fun and festive holiday read!
Margie and Frank are new neighbors and she is NOT happy with how extra Frank is with his holiday decor and music playing loudly. They are then unknowingly both co sponsors for the Christmas market and will be competing against each other with their sales. But as they spend more time together they both realize they are mistaken about the other and they can't fight their feelings for long.
I was giggling at all of the mayhem Frank was causing and sending Margie into a fit. The antics back and forth were so adorable and funny. There are many heart wrenching moments in this so definitely pay attention to the trigger warnings in the beginning. But overall I really enjoyed how these two came together and both overcame their past traumas and created such a loving relationship.
I listened to the newly released audio and it was done so well! It is done as a duet with Andria Mae and Jake McAskill. They both brought out the accents of these Louisiana characters so well. I loved the emotion they put forth into the whole story as well.
You will enjoy this if you like:
-Small Town Romance
-Enemies To Lovers
-Second Chance
-Black Cat/Golden Retriever
-Love After 50
Thank you so much to Jessica Booth and Booked with the Emily's for the gifted audio copy of this book!
Margie and Frank are new neighbors and she is NOT happy with how extra Frank is with his holiday decor and music playing loudly. They are then unknowingly both co sponsors for the Christmas market and will be competing against each other with their sales. But as they spend more time together they both realize they are mistaken about the other and they can't fight their feelings for long.
I was giggling at all of the mayhem Frank was causing and sending Margie into a fit. The antics back and forth were so adorable and funny. There are many heart wrenching moments in this so definitely pay attention to the trigger warnings in the beginning. But overall I really enjoyed how these two came together and both overcame their past traumas and created such a loving relationship.
I listened to the newly released audio and it was done so well! It is done as a duet with Andria Mae and Jake McAskill. They both brought out the accents of these Louisiana characters so well. I loved the emotion they put forth into the whole story as well.
You will enjoy this if you like:
-Small Town Romance
-Enemies To Lovers
-Second Chance
-Black Cat/Golden Retriever
-Love After 50
Thank you so much to Jessica Booth and Booked with the Emily's for the gifted audio copy of this book!
November 2, 2024
The Spite before Christmas, a Christmas romance book. This book is not a straight rom-com, there was definitely some deeper, sadder aspects of the FMC’s back story, and then the MMC has some sadness in his past and current life. There is a lot of comedy though between the FMC and MMC, so still an overall upbeat book. I liken this book to a Hallmark movie, which is honestly one of the reasons I love reading Christmas books so much!
The MMC Frank decides to downsize, and moves in Nextdoor to the FMC Margie. Right out of the gate, Frank manages to get on Margie’s bad side, by mowing his lawn at 7am. Frank continues to upset Margie as he puts up his extreme amount of Christmas lawn decorations, and plays Christmas music very loud. They end up, unexpectedly co-sponsoring a big charity Christmas event, which they turn into a fun competition. As they continue to fight each other, they also both start to have strange, unexpected feelings towards each other. These feelings are realized in full after a snowstorm accident turned sleepover.
Frank’s granddaughter is a really bright character in the story, who I think helps bring him and Margie together. The granddaughter, Julia, has an autoimmune disease. I appreciate how the author shined a light on something that a lot of people experience, but that a lot of the world truly cannot understand. I myself have Endometriosis, a disease with no cure, and that can truly affect your very existence by the pain it causes. So reading about a girl with an autoimmune disease within a romance book was a really nice way to expose it to the world in a way that wasn’t too in your face, but at the same time you see the struggles that the disease creates for both family and the disease sufferer.
I honestly usually avoid any Christmas romance stories that have sad/depressing back stories, because I prefer the super upbeat rom-com type stories. But, I was happy I went out of my comfort zone with this one, because it ended up being really sweet, and even though the characters had some trauma in their past, the current day story was very amusing, especially as you got to better know the characters. I definitely had a lot of laughs with this story.
This has grumpy/sunshine tropes, but in reverse where the FMC takes on the grumpy, and the MMC is the sunshine. I really liked this change of pace because usually it’s the male as the grumpy character. I really loved all of the side characters within the story, and my absolute favorite is Biscuit the Bassett hound. I love dogs, and he has such a cute personality. I thank you to the author for the fun Biscuit character, I feel like a lot of stories have cats, and I do love cats as well, but I adore dogs, so love when a story has a dog in it that plays a real role in the story.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a Christmas romance.
Thank you to happily booked PR and Jessica Booth for a copy of this book.
The MMC Frank decides to downsize, and moves in Nextdoor to the FMC Margie. Right out of the gate, Frank manages to get on Margie’s bad side, by mowing his lawn at 7am. Frank continues to upset Margie as he puts up his extreme amount of Christmas lawn decorations, and plays Christmas music very loud. They end up, unexpectedly co-sponsoring a big charity Christmas event, which they turn into a fun competition. As they continue to fight each other, they also both start to have strange, unexpected feelings towards each other. These feelings are realized in full after a snowstorm accident turned sleepover.
Frank’s granddaughter is a really bright character in the story, who I think helps bring him and Margie together. The granddaughter, Julia, has an autoimmune disease. I appreciate how the author shined a light on something that a lot of people experience, but that a lot of the world truly cannot understand. I myself have Endometriosis, a disease with no cure, and that can truly affect your very existence by the pain it causes. So reading about a girl with an autoimmune disease within a romance book was a really nice way to expose it to the world in a way that wasn’t too in your face, but at the same time you see the struggles that the disease creates for both family and the disease sufferer.
I honestly usually avoid any Christmas romance stories that have sad/depressing back stories, because I prefer the super upbeat rom-com type stories. But, I was happy I went out of my comfort zone with this one, because it ended up being really sweet, and even though the characters had some trauma in their past, the current day story was very amusing, especially as you got to better know the characters. I definitely had a lot of laughs with this story.
This has grumpy/sunshine tropes, but in reverse where the FMC takes on the grumpy, and the MMC is the sunshine. I really liked this change of pace because usually it’s the male as the grumpy character. I really loved all of the side characters within the story, and my absolute favorite is Biscuit the Bassett hound. I love dogs, and he has such a cute personality. I thank you to the author for the fun Biscuit character, I feel like a lot of stories have cats, and I do love cats as well, but I adore dogs, so love when a story has a dog in it that plays a real role in the story.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a Christmas romance.
Thank you to happily booked PR and Jessica Booth for a copy of this book.
November 11, 2024
Shout out to a romance featuring main characters in their 50s that isn’t stodgy but instead is sorts of fun and spicy. The enemies to lovers plot (told in first person, dual PoV!) is strong and provides so many goodhearted moments. Margie, a scrooge during the holidays due to her past, finds herself a with new neighbor, Frank, who loves and embraces Christmas for all the right reasons. He works super hard to win her over- there’s natural banter and resistance in starting over and finding love again in both characters that makes such an enduring and heartfelt story. I’d do just about anything for this book to become a Hallmark holiday movie! Thanks to the author and Booked with the Emilys for a gifted copy. 4.5 stars
November 10, 2024
I absolutely adored this book!
Even though it touches on some heavier topics (check trigger warnings) it still felt so festive & wholesome, it warmed my heart. 💙
I couldn’t get enough of the main characters. Frank was a total sweetheart, and Margie’s feisty attitude was just perfect! Their banter had me smiling and laughing the whole way through.
Julia, Franks granddaughter was such a cute, cheerful addition I loved her so much! & Biscuit the basset hound was adorable too! 🥹
I definitely recommend adding this one to your Christmas/Winter TBR!! 🎄✨
Read if you like / tropes:
❄️MC’s in their 50’s
🎅Neighbor wars
❄️Black cat x Golden retriever
🎅Enemies to lover
❄️Small town
🎅Christmas romance
Thank you, @bookedwiththeemilys & @Jessicaboothauthor for the gifted copy!
Even though it touches on some heavier topics (check trigger warnings) it still felt so festive & wholesome, it warmed my heart. 💙
I couldn’t get enough of the main characters. Frank was a total sweetheart, and Margie’s feisty attitude was just perfect! Their banter had me smiling and laughing the whole way through.
Julia, Franks granddaughter was such a cute, cheerful addition I loved her so much! & Biscuit the basset hound was adorable too! 🥹
I definitely recommend adding this one to your Christmas/Winter TBR!! 🎄✨
Read if you like / tropes:
❄️MC’s in their 50’s
🎅Neighbor wars
❄️Black cat x Golden retriever
🎅Enemies to lover
❄️Small town
🎅Christmas romance
Thank you, @bookedwiththeemilys & @Jessicaboothauthor for the gifted copy!
December 21, 2024
I love this story, it is so sweet and charming.
This book is a true neighbour enemies to lovers where one loves Christmas and the other is a Christmas stooge which results in a home and away moment and lots of sweet events
The writing is so cute and the characters are loveable.
Some of my favourite moments to convince you how cute the vibe is.
Frank loses his wife to cancer and she loves Christmas, when he is feeling ready to move out of the family home he finds a Santa statue in the new house and keeps it.
When they get together Frank is worried that Margie will be jealous of his late wife if he brings her up. But instead Margie asks him to open up and says “"She is part of you. A big part of you. And I want to know everything about you.
So yes, tell me about her. Will I be jealous? Probably. But that's only because she got so much time with you. She had your heart for what imagine was a very long time”. Margie saying that melted my heart.
When Frank sets up all his lights to shine into Margie’s room in spite she goes over and sets up a trap on one of Franks Santa’s.
And some of my favourite quotes are.
"You want something done, Ask the busiest person you know."
"I can walk just fine in this boot, you know," insist.
"Oh, bolieve me, I know. I just want to feel important, so let me,"
This book is a true neighbour enemies to lovers where one loves Christmas and the other is a Christmas stooge which results in a home and away moment and lots of sweet events
The writing is so cute and the characters are loveable.
Some of my favourite moments to convince you how cute the vibe is.
Frank loses his wife to cancer and she loves Christmas, when he is feeling ready to move out of the family home he finds a Santa statue in the new house and keeps it.
When they get together Frank is worried that Margie will be jealous of his late wife if he brings her up. But instead Margie asks him to open up and says “"She is part of you. A big part of you. And I want to know everything about you.
So yes, tell me about her. Will I be jealous? Probably. But that's only because she got so much time with you. She had your heart for what imagine was a very long time”. Margie saying that melted my heart.
When Frank sets up all his lights to shine into Margie’s room in spite she goes over and sets up a trap on one of Franks Santa’s.
And some of my favourite quotes are.
"You want something done, Ask the busiest person you know."
"I can walk just fine in this boot, you know," insist.
"Oh, bolieve me, I know. I just want to feel important, so let me,"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2024
Short synopsis: Margie’s new neighbor Frank is determined to make her Holiday season the worst. His Light display is too much, and to make matters worse he’s now competing with her in the Christmas Market.
My thoughts: I was so intrigued by Margie from the get-go. Not very often do we have a grumpy Female MC, and boy was she grumpy! I loved watching her open up as the story moved on, and enjoyed the anticipated of finding out what happened in her past.
Frank was such a sweet teddy bear, I loved how gentle he was with his Granddaughter and how concerned he was for her medical expenses. Always being there for his son at the drop of a hat.
I haven’t read many romances featuring middle age main characters, each of them went though a lot and finding a way to work through some of their hesitancy and stubbornness to finding happiness together was so sweet.
Read if you love:
- Middle Age romance
- Enemies to lovers
- Competition settings
- Finding a second chance at love
- Basset Hound companion
My thoughts: I was so intrigued by Margie from the get-go. Not very often do we have a grumpy Female MC, and boy was she grumpy! I loved watching her open up as the story moved on, and enjoyed the anticipated of finding out what happened in her past.
Frank was such a sweet teddy bear, I loved how gentle he was with his Granddaughter and how concerned he was for her medical expenses. Always being there for his son at the drop of a hat.
I haven’t read many romances featuring middle age main characters, each of them went though a lot and finding a way to work through some of their hesitancy and stubbornness to finding happiness together was so sweet.
Read if you love:
- Middle Age romance
- Enemies to lovers
- Competition settings
- Finding a second chance at love
- Basset Hound companion
December 27, 2025
Damn this was goooood. I think its the first book I've read where the mc's are 50+
November 5, 2024
What a fun, and a bit feisty, read that puts you in the holiday spirit.
I enjoyed the fact that it was not your typical romance. It is fun to see characters of varying ages when reading. Margie and Frank have lived full lives, but becoming neighbors allows them to start a second one, without negating anything or anyone that came before.
I could practically see the bright Christmas lights shining through my window as I read this book (ugh, flashback to old neighbors!). The rivalry was fun! There were times when I was laughing out loud! Yet there were many soft moments too - a really nice mix. I felt that although it was not the main storyline, the story centering around Julia seemed a little rushed at the end. I thought she deserved a bit more, as she really got the two together.
I enjoyed the fact that it was not your typical romance. It is fun to see characters of varying ages when reading. Margie and Frank have lived full lives, but becoming neighbors allows them to start a second one, without negating anything or anyone that came before.
I could practically see the bright Christmas lights shining through my window as I read this book (ugh, flashback to old neighbors!). The rivalry was fun! There were times when I was laughing out loud! Yet there were many soft moments too - a really nice mix. I felt that although it was not the main storyline, the story centering around Julia seemed a little rushed at the end. I thought she deserved a bit more, as she really got the two together.
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