This Is Not a Holiday Romance

Funny Feelings #1

by Camilla Isley

Two sworn enemies, snowed in over Christmas with chemistry that will melt the ice!

Nina Thompson has one Christmas wish: to avoid her brother’s obnoxiously handsome best friend, Tristan, like the plague. From the moment he humiliated her as a teenager to their escalating revenge schemes, Nina and Tristan’s relationship can only be defined as an all-out prank war! And there is yet to be a winner.

But it just so happens the ghost of Christmas present has other ideas. When Tristan unexpectedly crashes her family’s Christmas, Nina’s dreams of a peaceful holiday vanish faster than Santa up a chimney. Determined to end their rivalry for good, she braces herself for one last prank-filled showdown.

But when they find themselves snowed in, with no way of avoiding each other amongst the holiday festivities, they discover their heated exchanges have been masking a different kind of sizzle. Caught in a snow globe of holiday romance, they decide to let their fiery chemistry burn bright—but this is absolutely and unequivocally nothing more than a secret fling destined to melt with the snow, this is not a forever romance…

This Is Not a Holiday Romance is an enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend, forced proximity rom-com perfect for fans of Sarah Adams, Abby Jimenez, and Lynn Painter.

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Holiday, Audiobook, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary, Fiction

Audiobook

First published September 4, 2024

About the author

Camilla is an engineer who left science behind to enter the whimsical realm of romantic fiction.

She writes contemporary rom-coms. Her characters have big hearts, might be a little stubborn at times, and love to banter with each other. Every story she pens has a guaranteed HEA that will make your heart beat faster. Unless you're a vampire, of course.

Camilla is a cat lover, coffee addict, and shoe hoarder. Besides writing, she loves reading—duh!—cooking, watching bad TV, and going to the movies—popcorn, please. She's a bit of a foodie, nothing too serious. A keen traveler, Camilla knows mosquitoes play a role in the ecosystem, and she doesn't want to starve all those frog princes out there, but she could really live without them.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my quickest, most entertaining reads and an instant five-star rating without hesitation! Why do I ever reconsider my ratings? I am obsessed with the enemies-to-lovers trope, and the well-constructed heat, volatile chemistry between the main characters, increased by the tension of forced proximity and witty banter. In this book, the holiday spirit, best friend’s little sister, smart and hilarious pranks involving glitter, and several Casio watches make it irresistible! I laughed so much and enjoyed the immature yet perfectly hot encounters between Tristan and Nina! I truly loved it and couldn’t put this book down, turning it into my guilty pleasure (it’s worth skipping daily errands to bury my head in the pages).

The story revolves around Nina Thompson, who is planning to spend a peaceful Christmas with her family, reading her book, munching on her favorite snacks, and drinking gallons of hot chocolate. But when she finds out her bane of existence, the "Prince of Darkness" as she saved his name in her phone, her brother Dylan’s best friend and roommate Tristan, is invited to spend the holiday with her family due to weather conditions that caused his flight to San Diego to be canceled, things take a turn.

Tristan and Nina have known each other for nearly 15 years, and their tumultuous relationship involves too many insults, revenge plots, and nonstop pranks that rekindle their hatred and annoyance. Nina hates him calling her "Gremlin" since her childhood, and Tristan has no idea how his words impact her or how his actions are judged by Nina from a negative perspective.

As soon as he reaches the house, the nonstop pranks start—the game is on! But when their screaming contest starts to threaten the family’s peace, Tristan realizes he has never gotten Nina out of his head since the day she dared to drop the towel around her body in front of him. Nina also notices her childhood crush, who has turned into her arch-nemesis, giving signals that confuse her mind. Their hatred starts turning into hyperventilating attraction, which means they have to get each other out of their systems. Could one night together solve the problem at the risk of getting caught at a family gathering? But what if one night is not enough and their attraction is more than sexual, something more concrete that they cannot deny anymore?

Overall, this book is hot as hell, an easy, very entertaining, humorous read with a well-executed version of my favorite tropes! I had an amazing time, and yes, I wholeheartedly recommend it! Grab your margaritas, daiquiris, or any of your favorite refreshments as you lie on your couch, sipping them while you flip through the pages! Enjoy the full experience!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bollywood Books for sharing this very entertaining romance’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

medium blog
instagram
facebook
twitter

[ashlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was cringy, a little icky, but so entertaining I couldn’t stop reading. The pranks felt like something out of middle school, and some moments had me side-eyeing the page, but I was hooked the whole time. They’re definitely on Santa’s naughty list

[Camilla Isley]

My first brother’s best friend trope… 🫶🎄💘
Amazon & Kindle Unlimited

Apple Books

Kobo & Kobo Plus the audiobook is also available on Kobo Plus.

All other e-book and audiobook (dual narrators) retailers and libraries.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh… seriously cringe, the whole hookup w brothers bestie since childhood and during the holidays was major ICK factor!

[Danielle Overly Backlogged · Rating 2 out of 5]

These two are so immature. And the story is meh. And the bickering is childish.

I loved the premise: two rivals trapped together for Christmas. It had all the elements perfect for a cute, super fun rom-com. Except it failed on each count.

Tristan and Nina, were unbearable. The immaturity was so awful that I couldn’t take it when these two were on page together. At one point, Nina literally stomps her foot as she has a toddler-worthy temper tantrum. I’m not making that up. And then, without warning, these two are inexplicably madly in love. There is no build up. They work to achieve nothing in this novel and everything comes supremely easily. Even the third act breakup is nonsensical.

Being that this is my first novel by this author it's unlikely I'll read another.

[Mackenzie Montpas · Rating 2 out of 5]

No 🎄

[Haley Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

It only got worse.

[Maddy Balcer · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book did not need to be written

[Dab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially the holiday vibe was vibing and so was the enemies to lovers dynamic.

Nina and Tristan were clearly into each other from the beginning, but were concealing it behind stupid pranks. It was a little childish, but entertaining nonetheless. Their chemistry was great and I was really enjoying this book, until her brother found out about them…

Maaaan that part was so uncomfortable to read! Get yourself together, dude, they are consenting adults, it’s none of your business, you don’t have to „protect” and „defend” your little sister 🙄🙄🙄

So the third act was full on cringe and I have to dock a star for it.

I will still read the third book, even though I have a feeling it’s going to be about the immature brother… ehh, maybe he’s going to grow up until then? 🤞

[Brooke Graham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Would have been a quick DNF if this wasn’t a book club book. There is no plot, just the tropes (enemies to lovers & brothers best friend). Even the cheesy hallmark movies have some sort of plot, wtf!!! The cliche lines were laughable if not just plain cringy.

[Hayley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is certainly not a holiday romance, and this is most definitely not a good book. Stupid, predictable, cringey.

[Catherine Victor Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous holiday rom com even if the title disagrees.
This is my 2nd Camilla Isley book and she hasn't disappointed yet. Easy to read, this one was also short at about 250 pages.
This rom-com comes in the form on enemy to lovers, forced proximity and best-friend's sibling/ sibling's best-friends trope as it is written in both Nina's and Tristan's POV. What is refreshing about this one is that the enemy to lovers trope is very well written. There is actual hatred and hurt there! The insults, the pranks and banter will have you either laughing and relating and it's nice to see proper insults thrown around throughout the book. Proper gritty family type fighting.
It starts of a slow with many many insults abut once the juicy part gets growing the rest of the book will fly past.
I also sense this might be the first in a trilogy? With the ending easily leaving the door open for 2 more instalments.
Happy reading!

Many thanks to Boldworld Books who provided me a copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Drew Villarreal · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I have to read “prince of darkness” one more time I’m gonna throw up

[anouk♡ semi-hiatus · Rating 3 out of 5]

update 10% : okayyy so the tropes are: enemies to lovers & brothers best friend! so far so good 🥰
—
christmas tree is up, lights are hanging, TIME FOR CHRISTMAS ROMANCE 🎄✨💖

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

With odd characters and plot points, This Is Not a Holiday Romance by Camilla Isley is about a woman who falls for her brother's best friend whom she initially hated for years after being forced to spend Christmas together.

Summary: Nina Thompson hates her brother's best friend Tristan Montgomery. When they are forced to spend Christmas together at her parents' house, Nina has to get over her dislike towards Tristan to make the holiday more pleasant for all.

Tropes/Genres:
• brother's best friend
• enemies to lovers
• christmas
• holiday
• forced proximity
• reformed playboy (brief)
• contemporary romance
• set in Connecticut

Review: I would like to start off by saying that this is not a rom-com because I didn't laugh while reading this book. The start of the story was enjoyable, and I thought it was descriptive and paid attention to details. However, as the story went on, I realised that the plot wasn't properly developed. The characters also didn't make sense. It's such a shame for a book that is descriptive.

There is barely any chemistry between Nina and Tristan. I mean, they suddenly went from hating and pranking each other to screwing each other and realising they're not that bad. And that's supposed to be love? No, mate, I don't buy it. I understood their conflicts at the start of the book, but I didn't understand the way it suddenly stopped. There's no way his realising that Gremlin was insulting to Nina (which in the first place is quite unbelievable because there's nothing cute about calling a person names, but okay) suddenly flipped the switch and made Nina like him. The transition from "enemies" to "lovers" was simply inadequately portrayed.

Nina is childish. Gosh, how old is she supposed to be? She has to be in her late twenties or early thirties, but she is painfully childish. I mean, yeah, adults can have their childish moments too, and that's okay. But she's ridiculous. She acts like a teenager and refuses to admit that she's wrong when she is, pushing the blame on Tristan instead when everybody in the room can clearly see she was the one who caused it. And she even gets upset that nobody takes her side when she indeed has done something wrong! It's peak teenage behaviour, and I'm not here for it. I feel like there's a way for authors to make unlikeable characters likeable, but Nina doesn't really have any good points to be worth liking.

Tristan is okay, I guess. He never hated Nina, but the way he suddenly fell in "love" with Nina was highly unbelievable. Maybe he's simply sexually attracted to her; I wouldn't doubt it, especially considering his feelings for her changed after he saw her naked. Oh, by the way, that part was weird. He dared her to drop the towel, which she stole from him, knowing very well she would be naked underneath. Even though he claims he didn't think she would actually do it, it's still very weird. You don't just ask people to strip for you.

That being said, I think the author has a weird obsession with flashing because it's happened in the book a lot, albeit accidentally. It can be funny one time, but if you keep doing it, it gets creepy. It gets even worse in that one scene later in the book when Nina's towel accidentally drops in front of Dylan. Her brother. Um, gross? I just don't understand why that scene is even necessary. Sure, maybe you're doing it for a comedic effect, but it's not funny. Not at all.

Anyway, I thought Tristan's backstory was a little touching. Just a little. The third-act breakup was so stupid. Like, of course, it happened that way. The choices he made were also awful in that regard. I barely even understood the logic behind everything that went on in the third-act breakup. At least, for once, Nina made sense. Dylan and Tristan, though, didn't make any sense.

Overall, the start of the story was fine, but as it went on, more and more issues started presenting themselves. The characters aren't that likeable, and the comedy is kind of lame. Regardless, I recommend this book to those who want to read an enemies-to-lovers holiday romance between a woman and her brother's best friend.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the read.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christmas setting romance with enemies to lovers/brother’s best friend trope.

Tristan and Nina have been in a prank war since her brother brought his best friend home for Christmas, the first year of college. Their rivalry hasn’t improved after spending time together during subsequent Christmases. This year, however, the line between love and hate is blurred. And when Nina glimpses a softer side to Tristan that is the catalyst to the change in their dynamics. No longer is Nina trying to get rid of Tristan but pull him close. The only problem now is how her brother will react to their fledgling relationship.

This was a predictable story of dual POV. And it probably would have resonated with me more had Nina not been so childish and immature in the beginning. Fortunately, her unlikable personality traits were minimized once the couple became united. At that point, they both were kind and likable. Midway through the book was my favorite when the couple were sneaking around in the forced proximity of the family. However, while it had an open-door sex policy, there was little chemistry that I could discern. The relationship went from hate (mostly on Nina’s part) to love – insta love. There was little drama except for the brother’s reaction (again, predictable) but that wasn’t long lived. The conclusion was happy for now with the set up for the next book in the series.

Overall, I liked it and found enjoyment listening to the audio format narrated by Alex Forward and Stephanie Cannon.

[readwithmichele · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK: This is Not a Holiday Romance (ARC)
AUTHOR: Camilla Isley
PUB DATE: 9/4/2024 by Boldwood Books
PAGES: 241
RATING: 4 stars
GENRE: Chick Lit, Romance

A BIG Thank You to @netgalley, @boldwoodbooks, and the author for gifting me an advanced digital in exchange for my honest review!

QUICK & SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: This sweet romance will undoubtably put you in the holiday spirit! It’s an enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity that is filled with fun pranks between Nina & Tristan that is both cute & festive. Fans of Emily Henry & Lynn Palmer are sure to love this one.
There’s minimal spice, so add some red hots to your cider, and snuggle up for this rivalry!

[Filippa Söderström · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and entertaining 😍

[Ella · Rating 1 out of 5]

My Rating: 1.5⤵
Spice Scale: 🔥🔥🔥 {Fade To Black}
Trigger Scale: ❗❗❗❗{Check Below For Trigger Warnings}
Notes: 🏵️Holiday Books {2024} 🏵️ Rom-Coms That 2013 would love 🏵️ Kindle Unlimited

"there will be no light for me for a while, only darkness. At least until I have eradicated its prince from my heart." (80%) [HE IS NOT THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE! HE IS LITERALLY JUST A GUY! HIT HIM WITH YOUR CAR!!]

There's nothing that keeps you from enjoying a story more than a female main character who is sixteen going on twelve (she stomps her foot, need I say more?) and a main male character who "sees something in her" and that something is her butt. I guess that's one way to find your "soulmate."
And I am begging authors everywhere (as someone with blue eyes) to leave blue eyes alone! (glaciers? his glaciers! come on!) And not every eye glance needs to be described as piercing, I was amazed someone didn't stabbed from the number of times they pierced each other's eyes!

[Eva ✧ ࣪ ⋆ ⁺₊ ⋆ evathedreamer ₊˚.⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊ ✩ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one!
It had a bit of everything - cozy Christmas vibes, sweet family moments, lust, betrayal, conflicting feelings, and love 🫶
It was both fun and emotional.

Around 4.5 ⭐️’s (maybe even a little higher)

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my attempt to read more widely, I deliberately chose more Christmas or holiday-themed reads that are available at my local library, even if they are different than what I would typically choose…

This is a fast-paced, holiday rom-com with some witty banter, forced proximity, brothers-best-friend, enemies-to-lovers tropes – so in fact, this is definitely a holiday romance.

[Cassandra 🍁☕️📚 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute read. Some parts had me laughing. I found Nina to be insufferable the first half of the book. She acted very childish for her age. She also was one of those that can dish it out but can’t take it. I thought Tristan was ok. I was baffled on why he thought the nickname Gremlin would be cute and adorable for Nina. If you ever watched the Gremlin movies they are ugly with big ears and pointy teeth. Gizmo is the cute adorable one 🤦‍♀️ Tristan didn’t really notice Nina till he dared her to give his towel back to him. So he notices her more than Dylan’s sister cause she was naked. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, since the towel incident. It’s still worth the read, but there are better Christmas books.

[Kenzie Baldwin · Rating 1 out of 5]

It felt like a high schooler wrote this. I’m struggling between 1 and 2 stars, but I honestly skimmed the last 20 pages to just be done and I never do that so I’m landing on a 1.

[Polly Batchelor · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Gremlin"

- Brother's Best Friend
- Dual's P.O.V
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Festive Romance
- Felt Insta- Lovey- didn't feel right on Tristian's side
- Low level spice
- Pranks and Banter

Tristian is best friends with Nina's brother for years. They have never seen eye to eye. Constantly bickering or trying to get one over each other by pranking each other. Nina was hoping to have a quiet Christmas with just her family. That is until Dylan brings Tristian along. Will Nina and Tristian for once get along or will it be too much for this festive season.

I have read many Camilla Isley books. They are such easy reads and I flew through the book. 'This is Not a Holiday Romance' is perfect for a holiday read. But this one was a little bit hit and miss for me this time. It won't stop me from reading more of her books in the future. Just wasn't a favourite.

I found the connection between Nina and Tristian felt more of a physical/ sexual attraction rather than an actual connection between the two when they two people just click together. For me it was more on Tristian's when he saw Nina naked. He suddenly had feelings for her and not through the fact that you are friends with her brother and you would have surely noticed her or developed something a lot sooner. It was too insta-lovey one from couldn't get along to suddenly saying I love you within a couple of days didn't sit right.

I found Nina's character to be a lot younger than her character's age. She was very immature. It wasn't even the pranks/ jokes who doesn't like a laugh and a joke. It was how she reacted within certain situations. For example, with her mum over breaking a vase.


Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of the book for an honest review.

[Lisa Mandina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Camilla Isley has become one of my favorite authors, and so I always sign up for the review tours when they pop up. Of course there are several books from before I discovered her that I still need to read as well! This book was so much fun, and such a quick read too, because I couldn’t put it down!

While it is promoted as a snowed-in romance, to me it isn’t quite that, because it takes place over a whole Christmas break, and their other family come and go a few times. However, that is a bit of the supposed reason why Tristan comes to stay and can’t leave. Even if there are other things that actually are why he is there. Tristan’s back story is one that it sucks that Nina doesn’t know. And once she does learn that, it helps with their enemies to lovers/friends relationship. But oh, until they finally find a way to bridge that gap, the sparks that fly, and the pranks that are played are hilarious!

The chemistry between the two though is off the charts, even with the “hatred” between them. We have all the other family members as buffers or extra parts to move the plot along as needed, and to help make what Nina is doing seem like maybe she’s going a bit overboard. Even Tristan realizes what has always set Nina off, and tries at one point to call a truce. But eventually they figure things out enough to try to give into their attraction. However there is of course the fact that Tristan is worried about his best friend, Nina’s brother, being mad at them.

The last act break up actually was okay for me because even though I was mad about how it happened and how Tristan let it happen, the way he made it up in the end was a great grand gesture in my opinion.

Another winner from Camilla Isley, even if it is a little early for me to be reading Christmas stories! I seem to read them earlier and earlier every year.

Review first published on Lisa Loves Literature.

[Cassondra Perea · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Nina Thompson loves the holidays. But when she learns her brother is bringing along his roommate Tristan, her mortal enemy, she begins counting down the days to their departure. With tensions mounting the two can’t help but push each other’s buttons. What started out as a prank war quickly turns physical. Can the two survive the holiday without killing each other, or will their secret hookups lead to a peace treaty?

Camilla Isley’s latest novel, This is not a Holiday. Romance, is the first book in the Funny Feeling series. It combines two of my absolute favorite things, romantic comedies and Christmas.

As with all of Isley’s books, it is made up of outstanding characters and a compelling plot. I was immediately captivated by the writing and couldn’t put it down. I read the entire thing in a single sitting.

While Isley usually writes more closed door/ fade to black romances, this is one of her spiciest stories. There is no denying Nina and Tristan’s chemistry. It is palpable and jumps off the page.

I recommend reading this book if you enjoy:
-enemies to lovers
-forced proximity
-witty banter
-brother’s best friend
-dual POVs (Tristan/ Nina)

Special thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and Camilla Isley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part cute, part predictable, part cringey, but still liked it.

[Read Watch Crochet · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ (rounded up)

Looking for a Hallmark Christmas story with a dash of spice.

“If he stays, I go”
“Nowhere to go, darling, we’re snowed in”

📚 brothers best friend
📚 enemies to lovers
📚 forced proximity
📚 found family
📚 festive romance
📚 hair washing
📚 dual POV

🌶️
🎄🎄 Christmas Magic

|Thoughts|
A light, short and (mildly) spicy romance that, whilst set at Christmas, had enough story outside of the festivities to keep me engaged.

“That’s what this is. Sleep deprivation and forced proximity”

But I am a sucker for a brothers best friend romance.

“Because Nina Thompson is off limits. Her brother has hated every single one of her ex boyfriends…”

Be mindful that there is a small third act break up (which you’ll probably see coming), but it didn’t bother me in this story as much as others I’ve read. However, did question some actions of the FMC and MMC considering how old they’re meant to be (acting like teenagers when they’re in their late 20s/early 30s).

Enjoyed the progression from enemies to lovers and the secret keeping made for some great tension. May be a little Insta love, but I can forgive that due to the whole ‘spirit of Christmas’.

Christmas movies mentioned
• Love Actually
• Bridget Jones’s Diary


🟢 For more bookish content follow me instagram.com/read_watch_crochet

Thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books & the author for an eARC in exchange for this honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Taitem Bell · Rating 2 out of 5]

BLEH. This started off with so much potential😩
I usually hate a slow burn that takes 95% of the book before the mcs even TOUCH, but in this case, this book could’ve used some more tension. And if the mcs are going to get together THAT EARLY, at least give me explicit scenes???? Why the BORING PG13 “we made loveeeee”💕💞💓💗💖💘 nonsense without any detail at ALL, UGH. I need SMUT god damn it.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know we haven't hit Halloween yet but this was cute. enjoyed it.