What do you think?
Rate this book
A Mannequin for Christmas
A Christmas romance for Barbie fans who wished Ken and Allan got their own love story.
Henry Aster swears he is unlucky when it comes to love. He thought he’d finally found The One, but a sudden break-up has left him hopeless right before the holiday season.
Facing another family Christmas alone, Henry makes a wish for “The Perfect Man.” The next morning, when he arrives at the Jersey Shore vintage shop he manages, he finds one of the male display mannequins has sprung to life and entirely wrecked the place.
The magicked man is gorgeous, of course, but he comes with a Cinderella-style If he doesn’t experience true, human love before the midnight chime on New Year’s Eve, he will turn back into a mannequin for good.
Now Henry doesn’t have to show up to family Christmas alone. The catch? This new man—self-named Aidan Smith—knows nothing about being a human. Henry has one month to teach Aidan how to be a functioning person in the modern world and the swoony boyfriend that will win over his family. It’s an arduous task that draws them close together... but can human love ever really be true?
Henry Aster swears he is unlucky when it comes to love. He thought he’d finally found The One, but a sudden break-up has left him hopeless right before the holiday season.
Facing another family Christmas alone, Henry makes a wish for “The Perfect Man.” The next morning, when he arrives at the Jersey Shore vintage shop he manages, he finds one of the male display mannequins has sprung to life and entirely wrecked the place.
The magicked man is gorgeous, of course, but he comes with a Cinderella-style If he doesn’t experience true, human love before the midnight chime on New Year’s Eve, he will turn back into a mannequin for good.
Now Henry doesn’t have to show up to family Christmas alone. The catch? This new man—self-named Aidan Smith—knows nothing about being a human. Henry has one month to teach Aidan how to be a functioning person in the modern world and the swoony boyfriend that will win over his family. It’s an arduous task that draws them close together... but can human love ever really be true?
352 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2025
101 people are currently reading
10820 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
![Profile Image for Megan [Slump City].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1634561405i%2F25103878._UY200_CR50%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
October 4, 2025
MM Romance
Christmas Wish
1.5 Stars ⭐️ (This entire review will be spoiler free until the very bottom when I explain how a book I loved and planned to give 4 stars became a 1 star read at 92%)
🎵Narrated by: Lee Osorio and Mark Sanderlin🎵 Lee aka Javi Wilder is why I even requested this book 🤭🤭 and he was great as always. I had never listened to Mark before but he had the perfect voice for Henry and I’d listen to him again. The audio part was perfect imo and deserves 5 stars. ⭐️
So, this is a Christmas story with a Cinderella trope, about a man named Henry who has been unlucky in love and feels destined to be alone after his last relationship. He runs his Great Aunt’s retail store while living above it and is just really sick of the grind of doing life alone. One night he makes a wish during “magic hour” for the perfect man and in the morning finds his window mannequin has come to life. This Mannequin, Aiden, has a lot to learn now that he’s alive but he’s also on a deadline because if Aiden doesn’t experience true love by New Year’s Eve at 11:59pm, he will return back to plastic. From the first time they met when Henry realizes his mannequin came to life to 92% I was absolutely taken by this book. I loved how innocent Aiden was at being human but because he’s magic, he also had innate knowledge that seemed to come to him as time went on making him feel like a real character and not a caricature. Aiden and Aunt Isla were my favorite characters in this book and made me laugh and smile a lot. Henry took awhile to grow on me because he was so negative but the narrator played him so well that his cynical nature eventually won me over.
So despite a few issues like Henry being a sad sack and taking forever to give into Aiden and his cousin Alexis being a low-key weird villain for no real reason, I really enjoyed this and planned on rating it 4 stars until 92.5% when this whimsical, adorable Christmas story went to total shit ruining any good feelings I had towards it. Those last 45 minutes crushed my soul and made me teary eyed due to anger. I wanted to throw my headphones across the floor and DNF the hell out of this and I probably should have because then I could have pretended it ended on New Year’s Eve during a magical moment instead of this bullshit.
~*~So this is where my original review devolved into swearing and ranting but not explaining why I was so upset. If you don’t want spoilers for what happens after 92% please look away after this section. This spoiler will only be on GR and not NetGalley or Amazon and I feel it’s necessary in large part because this book is not on KU. If I had bought this for $11.99 and had it end like this, I would have been felt ripped off. Also, I looked up this author’s Christmas book from last year and saw the ending was just as bad if not worse in some ways so I am going to put this author on perma DNF for now because if these are his HEAs on Christmas books, I can only imagine what his usual books are like. Also, no disrespect to the author, his style is just not for me~*~
**********
SPOILERS
**********
This book is very Cinderella so it should come as no shock that Aiden doesn’t turn back to plastic because Henry and him fall in love by New Year’s Eve at 11:59pm. They did have a bit of a fight prior to NYE but they meet up and watch fireworks and confess their love for each other. Had the book ended here at 92% then I would have rated it 4 stars. But alas it didn’t. In the next chapter, Aiden is packing his stuff because Henry feels like Aiden needs to explore the world and figure out who he is because all he’s known is this small town, Henry & his family. WTAF. I thought no fucking way, surely Henry will go with him since nothing is keeping him here anymore with his Aunt closing the shop he works at. But no, in Aiden’s POV we learn he’s going to New York by himself and they even discussed Aiden being with other people in their time apart if he wanted to. HUH? 👀👀 We see their tearful goodbye and I was just dumbfounded. That whole scene I kept thinking that they’d realize what idiots they were being and go together but nope Aiden leaves and Henry goes back to his life. Next chapter is TWO YEARS LATER. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? We are in Henry’s POV and he’s living in New York as a starving artist. He has roommates and they are watching The Hallmark Channel. Henry’s roommate is like “hey don’t you know the guy who is the lead in this movie?” (Aiden was obsessed with hallmark movies and is apparently an actor in them now??). Henry says yes then reminisces about how they lost touch 6 MONTHS into Aiden leaving. They talked every day but then Henry’s Great Aunt became sick and was put on hospice and he tried calling Aiden for support. Aiden knew how close Henry was to his aunt and she was one of the only
people who knew the truth about Aiden. She even cared for Aiden when he was sick and helped both Henry and Aiden work out their feelings for each other. Henry wanted support that only Aiden could give him but Aiden didn’t answer any of his calls and when he finally called back he couldn’t have cared less. He was busy with work as a hallmark actor 🙄🙄🙄 and he didn’t even go back for the funeral or to check in and see how Henry was doing so they stopped talking. Aunt Isla is a huge part of the book and while it was implied she was older and probably wouldn’t be around much longer, this was not something I wanted to see on page in a whimsical Christmas book. 🙄 Plus Aiden not giving a fuck was so out of character for him. It didn’t make sense! It just angered me more.
So these two lose touch. 1.5 years later in present day, Henry has his first art exhibit and an anonymous person buys one of his pieces. He finds out it’s Aiden and they have a conversation. Henry learns Aiden bought a condo in New York so they go to his place. Some art Henry made for Aiden two years ago is hanging on his wall and there’s a space for the new one. They say how much they missed each other and it ends. No I love you since 92%. No plans for the future, no groveling, just a stupid convo in Aiden’s living room. The end.
*********
END SPOILERS
*********
I wanted to 2 star this book because the audiobook narrators did such a good job and I had it as such this whole review until I reread it to look for mistakes. I am still so angry 2 weeks later that I have to 1 star this. I want to pretend this ended at 92% but it didn’t and my rating reflects what a horrible choice that was. I saw reviews who applaud the choice because it will make them stronger but like I said before, this blurb and most of the book read like a whimsical Christmas romance and I’m not looking for realism and this kind of ending from a whimsical book.
Thank you netgalley and the author for the ALC. I wish different choices had been made so I could rave about it but I hated the ending 😭
Christmas Wish
1.5 Stars ⭐️ (This entire review will be spoiler free until the very bottom when I explain how a book I loved and planned to give 4 stars became a 1 star read at 92%)
🎵Narrated by: Lee Osorio and Mark Sanderlin🎵 Lee aka Javi Wilder is why I even requested this book 🤭🤭 and he was great as always. I had never listened to Mark before but he had the perfect voice for Henry and I’d listen to him again. The audio part was perfect imo and deserves 5 stars. ⭐️
So, this is a Christmas story with a Cinderella trope, about a man named Henry who has been unlucky in love and feels destined to be alone after his last relationship. He runs his Great Aunt’s retail store while living above it and is just really sick of the grind of doing life alone. One night he makes a wish during “magic hour” for the perfect man and in the morning finds his window mannequin has come to life. This Mannequin, Aiden, has a lot to learn now that he’s alive but he’s also on a deadline because if Aiden doesn’t experience true love by New Year’s Eve at 11:59pm, he will return back to plastic. From the first time they met when Henry realizes his mannequin came to life to 92% I was absolutely taken by this book. I loved how innocent Aiden was at being human but because he’s magic, he also had innate knowledge that seemed to come to him as time went on making him feel like a real character and not a caricature. Aiden and Aunt Isla were my favorite characters in this book and made me laugh and smile a lot. Henry took awhile to grow on me because he was so negative but the narrator played him so well that his cynical nature eventually won me over.
So despite a few issues like Henry being a sad sack and taking forever to give into Aiden and his cousin Alexis being a low-key weird villain for no real reason, I really enjoyed this and planned on rating it 4 stars until 92.5% when this whimsical, adorable Christmas story went to total shit ruining any good feelings I had towards it. Those last 45 minutes crushed my soul and made me teary eyed due to anger. I wanted to throw my headphones across the floor and DNF the hell out of this and I probably should have because then I could have pretended it ended on New Year’s Eve during a magical moment instead of this bullshit.
~*~So this is where my original review devolved into swearing and ranting but not explaining why I was so upset. If you don’t want spoilers for what happens after 92% please look away after this section. This spoiler will only be on GR and not NetGalley or Amazon and I feel it’s necessary in large part because this book is not on KU. If I had bought this for $11.99 and had it end like this, I would have been felt ripped off. Also, I looked up this author’s Christmas book from last year and saw the ending was just as bad if not worse in some ways so I am going to put this author on perma DNF for now because if these are his HEAs on Christmas books, I can only imagine what his usual books are like. Also, no disrespect to the author, his style is just not for me~*~
**********
SPOILERS
**********
This book is very Cinderella so it should come as no shock that Aiden doesn’t turn back to plastic because Henry and him fall in love by New Year’s Eve at 11:59pm. They did have a bit of a fight prior to NYE but they meet up and watch fireworks and confess their love for each other. Had the book ended here at 92% then I would have rated it 4 stars. But alas it didn’t. In the next chapter, Aiden is packing his stuff because Henry feels like Aiden needs to explore the world and figure out who he is because all he’s known is this small town, Henry & his family. WTAF. I thought no fucking way, surely Henry will go with him since nothing is keeping him here anymore with his Aunt closing the shop he works at. But no, in Aiden’s POV we learn he’s going to New York by himself and they even discussed Aiden being with other people in their time apart if he wanted to. HUH? 👀👀 We see their tearful goodbye and I was just dumbfounded. That whole scene I kept thinking that they’d realize what idiots they were being and go together but nope Aiden leaves and Henry goes back to his life. Next chapter is TWO YEARS LATER. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? We are in Henry’s POV and he’s living in New York as a starving artist. He has roommates and they are watching The Hallmark Channel. Henry’s roommate is like “hey don’t you know the guy who is the lead in this movie?” (Aiden was obsessed with hallmark movies and is apparently an actor in them now??). Henry says yes then reminisces about how they lost touch 6 MONTHS into Aiden leaving. They talked every day but then Henry’s Great Aunt became sick and was put on hospice and he tried calling Aiden for support. Aiden knew how close Henry was to his aunt and she was one of the only
people who knew the truth about Aiden. She even cared for Aiden when he was sick and helped both Henry and Aiden work out their feelings for each other. Henry wanted support that only Aiden could give him but Aiden didn’t answer any of his calls and when he finally called back he couldn’t have cared less. He was busy with work as a hallmark actor 🙄🙄🙄 and he didn’t even go back for the funeral or to check in and see how Henry was doing so they stopped talking. Aunt Isla is a huge part of the book and while it was implied she was older and probably wouldn’t be around much longer, this was not something I wanted to see on page in a whimsical Christmas book. 🙄 Plus Aiden not giving a fuck was so out of character for him. It didn’t make sense! It just angered me more.
So these two lose touch. 1.5 years later in present day, Henry has his first art exhibit and an anonymous person buys one of his pieces. He finds out it’s Aiden and they have a conversation. Henry learns Aiden bought a condo in New York so they go to his place. Some art Henry made for Aiden two years ago is hanging on his wall and there’s a space for the new one. They say how much they missed each other and it ends. No I love you since 92%. No plans for the future, no groveling, just a stupid convo in Aiden’s living room. The end.
*********
END SPOILERS
*********
I wanted to 2 star this book because the audiobook narrators did such a good job and I had it as such this whole review until I reread it to look for mistakes. I am still so angry 2 weeks later that I have to 1 star this. I want to pretend this ended at 92% but it didn’t and my rating reflects what a horrible choice that was. I saw reviews who applaud the choice because it will make them stronger but like I said before, this blurb and most of the book read like a whimsical Christmas romance and I’m not looking for realism and this kind of ending from a whimsical book.
Thank you netgalley and the author for the ALC. I wish different choices had been made so I could rave about it but I hated the ending 😭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2025
Timothy Janovsky is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors for the perfect m4m romance novel. Balanced with a good amount of romance and sex, with the focus truly on the characters, emotions, and plot, I find myself laughing and crying, wishing life sometimes imitated books, and generally impatiently wishing they were long and released more often. Halfway thru his releases thus far, I have 3 more stand-alone books and then I will start the 3-book Boy Meets Boy series.
A young boy quietly hides that he's gay from his parents, but when he visits his great aunt in south NJ, he's able to be his true self... designing window scenes at her charming, small town store. He falls in loved with the mannequin in his creations, and one day as he gets older, he makes a wish that comes true. His mannequin comes to life and they have a few weeks to fall in love, or things go back to how they were before.
I fell in love with Aidan (the name the mannequin chose) for most of the story but when things flash-forward and the main character offers a selfless gift, I found myself both annoyed and compassionate. The ending comes back together but this is the type of story that really questions what it means to be in love, let someone go, and learn how to love yourself.
A young boy quietly hides that he's gay from his parents, but when he visits his great aunt in south NJ, he's able to be his true self... designing window scenes at her charming, small town store. He falls in loved with the mannequin in his creations, and one day as he gets older, he makes a wish that comes true. His mannequin comes to life and they have a few weeks to fall in love, or things go back to how they were before.
I fell in love with Aidan (the name the mannequin chose) for most of the story but when things flash-forward and the main character offers a selfless gift, I found myself both annoyed and compassionate. The ending comes back together but this is the type of story that really questions what it means to be in love, let someone go, and learn how to love yourself.
August 28, 2025
"I wanted to be anyone's." Henry said
"Just not mine."
ohh this book shattered my soul. 😞
I felt like it just started getting really sad after page 250, like, I couldn't handle it.
BEWARE, the review you're about to read is literally ALL over the place, I change my opinions and thoughts so often it's crazy. I contradict myself and use a lot of emojis 😓.
so I definitely have a lot to say about this book, for SURE.
I feel like in the beginning of the book the Author made Aidan way too innocent and yeah, maybe that's to be expected.. I mean, he literally just turned human.
but he was over here: "oh what's this!" and it was like, ohh honey, that's a hairbrush.. 😐. like.. idk.
I'M NOT AT ALL CALLING OUT THE AUTHOR GUYS.
I guess i think it got really repetitive in the first 6 chapters and it kinda felt like a first draft.
the main mc (Henry) was so so pitiful and honestly sounded just like ME when I was 10, "oh I just want attention, boo hoo.😝" I can't tell you how many times he thought "maybe next Christmas I'll have a nice looking man.🙁" he did NOTHING but talk about his ex's and being cheated on. "the universe has just brought me dud after dud." (he literally said that). I DO NOT ❌ believe cheaters deserve anything, like pls don't even go and think about them, but its like... he was so obsessed with the FACT he was cheated on, instead of going out and being the best him he could be, he's tainted by the fact he thinks he isn't good enough. (which he does get better with in the end! which it jumps two years 😭, so I'd be kinda upset if this diva didn't learn to love himself in 2 years.)
Topher and Isla were definitely the best characters.
Okay I think I said something like this before BUTT (🍑) why was Henry so adamant on finding love and "the one"?
he got broken up with/cheated on a. MONTH. AGO. guys A MONTH.
not saying he's.. attention seeking.. or anything like that.
it's my opinion but I think he was really pick me. think 2021-2023 tiktok pov's. 👉👈.
OKAY IM REALLY SORRY THAT THIS REVIEW IS SO NEGATIVE, I'm extremely grateful that I have this arc in my possession. I mean, seriously thank you so much.
Here's another thing: "I might lose the shop because I couldn't afford the rent."
okay... so let me get this straight(🏳️🌈), you go out and buy a ❗️MANNEQUIN❗️A WHOLE NEW WARDROBE, a brand NEW phone and let him have access to your entire credit card?? uhhh okay babe! you do you!
I'm just gonna say it (👀) it started feeling extremely predatory, like a predator (Henry) toying with it's prey (Aidan).
"I wanted to get far away from Henry so I could stop being expected to go where he said to go, do what he said to do, say what he said to say, wear what he said to wear." how heartbreaking?? I think Henry ultimately just saw Aidan as a pawn to play with and use to get money via his window display. Henry ended up turning something sweet (his window) into something he only really wanted to do because it would benefit the shop (Isla's attic). But did Aidan actually ever want to be anything more than a perfect man for Henry?? No. He was put on earth because a wish Henry made, you would think Henry would be more open and try to fall in love with Aidan instead of pushing him away.
ALSO (kinda) ON THAT NOTE, too many Henry chapters.. not enough Aidan.
The drag show was obviously my favorite part of the entire part of the book (🙇♀️ I love drag queens).
I did end up really liking the writing in the end. it was like, it started choppy but ended magnificent.
-----------------------------------------------------
"I love coke." Aidan declared. A bald slender man in a ratty hoodie passing our table with an entire plate of croutons overheard this and stopped. "You selling any??" WHAT?? PLEASE I'M BAWLING.
"What if I told you my feet hurt from standing all night?"
"I'd tell you that I'd carry you the whole way." (😍) Aidan the man you are 😳
"I don't want to miss you anymore, Henry," he whispered around a broken exhale.
"You've missed me?" I asked.
"Every single day."
"Even on the days you didn't call?" I asked.
"Especially on the days I didn't call."
I believe 4 stars is too high but three is too low because of how much I loved the ending.
Although I won this giveaway all thoughts are my own, im so appreciative of this arc.
(3.8/5)⭐️🍷
"Just not mine."
ohh this book shattered my soul. 😞
I felt like it just started getting really sad after page 250, like, I couldn't handle it.
BEWARE, the review you're about to read is literally ALL over the place, I change my opinions and thoughts so often it's crazy. I contradict myself and use a lot of emojis 😓.
so I definitely have a lot to say about this book, for SURE.
I feel like in the beginning of the book the Author made Aidan way too innocent and yeah, maybe that's to be expected.. I mean, he literally just turned human.
but he was over here: "oh what's this!" and it was like, ohh honey, that's a hairbrush.. 😐. like.. idk.
I'M NOT AT ALL CALLING OUT THE AUTHOR GUYS.
I guess i think it got really repetitive in the first 6 chapters and it kinda felt like a first draft.
the main mc (Henry) was so so pitiful and honestly sounded just like ME when I was 10, "oh I just want attention, boo hoo.😝" I can't tell you how many times he thought "maybe next Christmas I'll have a nice looking man.🙁" he did NOTHING but talk about his ex's and being cheated on. "the universe has just brought me dud after dud." (he literally said that). I DO NOT ❌ believe cheaters deserve anything, like pls don't even go and think about them, but its like... he was so obsessed with the FACT he was cheated on, instead of going out and being the best him he could be, he's tainted by the fact he thinks he isn't good enough. (which he does get better with in the end! which it jumps two years 😭, so I'd be kinda upset if this diva didn't learn to love himself in 2 years.)
Topher and Isla were definitely the best characters.
Okay I think I said something like this before BUTT (🍑) why was Henry so adamant on finding love and "the one"?
he got broken up with/cheated on a. MONTH. AGO. guys A MONTH.
not saying he's.. attention seeking.. or anything like that.
it's my opinion but I think he was really pick me. think 2021-2023 tiktok pov's. 👉👈.
OKAY IM REALLY SORRY THAT THIS REVIEW IS SO NEGATIVE, I'm extremely grateful that I have this arc in my possession. I mean, seriously thank you so much.
Here's another thing: "I might lose the shop because I couldn't afford the rent."
okay... so let me get this straight(🏳️🌈), you go out and buy a ❗️MANNEQUIN❗️A WHOLE NEW WARDROBE, a brand NEW phone and let him have access to your entire credit card?? uhhh okay babe! you do you!
I'm just gonna say it (👀) it started feeling extremely predatory, like a predator (Henry) toying with it's prey (Aidan).
"I wanted to get far away from Henry so I could stop being expected to go where he said to go, do what he said to do, say what he said to say, wear what he said to wear." how heartbreaking?? I think Henry ultimately just saw Aidan as a pawn to play with and use to get money via his window display. Henry ended up turning something sweet (his window) into something he only really wanted to do because it would benefit the shop (Isla's attic). But did Aidan actually ever want to be anything more than a perfect man for Henry?? No. He was put on earth because a wish Henry made, you would think Henry would be more open and try to fall in love with Aidan instead of pushing him away.
ALSO (kinda) ON THAT NOTE, too many Henry chapters.. not enough Aidan.
The drag show was obviously my favorite part of the entire part of the book (🙇♀️ I love drag queens).
I did end up really liking the writing in the end. it was like, it started choppy but ended magnificent.
-----------------------------------------------------
"I love coke." Aidan declared. A bald slender man in a ratty hoodie passing our table with an entire plate of croutons overheard this and stopped. "You selling any??" WHAT?? PLEASE I'M BAWLING.
"What if I told you my feet hurt from standing all night?"
"I'd tell you that I'd carry you the whole way." (😍) Aidan the man you are 😳
"I don't want to miss you anymore, Henry," he whispered around a broken exhale.
"You've missed me?" I asked.
"Every single day."
"Even on the days you didn't call?" I asked.
"Especially on the days I didn't call."
I believe 4 stars is too high but three is too low because of how much I loved the ending.
Although I won this giveaway all thoughts are my own, im so appreciative of this arc.
(3.8/5)⭐️🍷
December 16, 2025
With a heart this shriveled, I must be the Grinch. No, worse. A Grinch mannequin.
This was my seventh Timothy Janovsky book. Seventh! So I came in with my whole plastic heart full of trust and seasonal joy, ready to be emotionally destroyed in the best sense. But in the end, this Christmas love story left me feeling... well, a little hollow inside.
To be fair, there were definitely things I liked. I loved getting Aidan’s point of view. You might ask, “wait, the mannequin POV?” Heck yeah! It weirdly worked for me and I honestly missed it at the end (but more on that later). And Isla? Isla deserved an entirely separate book and a national holiday. She breathed life into the book from the very first chapter. One particular moment cracked my cold heart wide open. I legit cried. (Yes, cried. Like, actual tears. So who’s the mannequin now?).
That said, the rest of the book didn’t quite land for me in the same way. Some of the side plots, involving past friendships and unresolved conflict, seemed were underdeveloped. All the important stuff—the bullying, the former BFF history—are explained in little info-dumps instead of actually seeing it happen. So when it wrapped up, I felt nothing.
I also struggle with stories where main characters reconnect with exes for reflection on their current relationship (unless it is a clear second-chance romance, which in this case, it wasn’t). And again, the whole background happened almost entirely off screen. I’m expected to buy into a meaningful past I never got to see and forgive someone I’ve never met, based on a single conversation. And from that conversation, Henry is suddenly an unreliable narrator?? I felt like I needed to reread the book with a red pen and a wall of conspiracy yarn.
And then... the ending. Ouch. The final chapters didn’t work for me. At all. Near the end and after a separation, a significant time jump occurs. But then everything gets tied up in a neat little bow in the last few pages? It didn’t feel earned. They were strangers at that point. The emotional payoff could have been much stronger with more of that growth and resolution unfolding on the page, rather than being summarized. It felt like I was like watching the end of a sequel that never happened.
I still appreciate the creativity and the heartfelt moments mixed with whimsy. I think readers who enjoy magical holiday stories with unconventional twists might connect with this one more than I did. For me, though, it was too much telling and not enough showing, especially in the resolution.
Halfway through, I really thought I’d love it. I really wanted to love it. Instead, I left the party early, clutching my little Grinch mannequin heart and wondering what went wrong.
This was my seventh Timothy Janovsky book. Seventh! So I came in with my whole plastic heart full of trust and seasonal joy, ready to be emotionally destroyed in the best sense. But in the end, this Christmas love story left me feeling... well, a little hollow inside.
To be fair, there were definitely things I liked. I loved getting Aidan’s point of view. You might ask, “wait, the mannequin POV?” Heck yeah! It weirdly worked for me and I honestly missed it at the end (but more on that later). And Isla? Isla deserved an entirely separate book and a national holiday. She breathed life into the book from the very first chapter. One particular moment cracked my cold heart wide open. I legit cried. (Yes, cried. Like, actual tears. So who’s the mannequin now?).
That said, the rest of the book didn’t quite land for me in the same way. Some of the side plots, involving past friendships and unresolved conflict, seemed were underdeveloped. All the important stuff—the bullying, the former BFF history—are explained in little info-dumps instead of actually seeing it happen. So when it wrapped up, I felt nothing.
I also struggle with stories where main characters reconnect with exes for reflection on their current relationship (unless it is a clear second-chance romance, which in this case, it wasn’t). And again, the whole background happened almost entirely off screen. I’m expected to buy into a meaningful past I never got to see and forgive someone I’ve never met, based on a single conversation. And from that conversation, Henry is suddenly an unreliable narrator?? I felt like I needed to reread the book with a red pen and a wall of conspiracy yarn.
And then... the ending. Ouch. The final chapters didn’t work for me. At all. Near the end and after a separation, a significant time jump occurs. But then everything gets tied up in a neat little bow in the last few pages? It didn’t feel earned. They were strangers at that point. The emotional payoff could have been much stronger with more of that growth and resolution unfolding on the page, rather than being summarized. It felt like I was like watching the end of a sequel that never happened.
I still appreciate the creativity and the heartfelt moments mixed with whimsy. I think readers who enjoy magical holiday stories with unconventional twists might connect with this one more than I did. For me, though, it was too much telling and not enough showing, especially in the resolution.
Halfway through, I really thought I’d love it. I really wanted to love it. Instead, I left the party early, clutching my little Grinch mannequin heart and wondering what went wrong.
December 11, 2025
This is a Cinderella esque story, but with a twist at the end. It was a little touch and go for a while for me but I actually really liked the ending. But I'm still waiting for the day a timothy janovsky book lives up to you're a mean one matthew price for me, I absolutely adored that book.
it's a good book if you're looking for a Christmas read.
it's a good book if you're looking for a Christmas read.
won-t-read-bc-nopes
October 4, 2025For anyone who reads romance for heartwarming happy endings, here's why this one is a major Nope for me, a review by the lovely @Megan--read her SPOILERS for details on how this biffs the landing so incredibly, unbearably badly: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Wow. If I'd invested my heart in this book, I would have been FILLED WITH RAGE at that awful, unbearable ending. It's like an "oh you love romance, let me write you a romance...HA HA HA just kidding dumbasses, here's what would happen in REAL LIFE deal with it!"
No thanks.
(Also, if I had read/rated, it would be NEGATIVE stars for the misleading copy shoutline: "A Christmas romance for Barbie fans who wished Ken and Allan got their own love story." Can you imagine how Ken would have felt if Allan just...dropped him for years?! JFC!)
Wow. If I'd invested my heart in this book, I would have been FILLED WITH RAGE at that awful, unbearable ending. It's like an "oh you love romance, let me write you a romance...HA HA HA just kidding dumbasses, here's what would happen in REAL LIFE deal with it!"
No thanks.
(Also, if I had read/rated, it would be NEGATIVE stars for the misleading copy shoutline: "A Christmas romance for Barbie fans who wished Ken and Allan got their own love story." Can you imagine how Ken would have felt if Allan just...dropped him for years?! JFC!)
October 2, 2025
A Mannequin For Christmas by Timothy Janovsky
Contemporary M-M magical romance. Alternating first person POV.
There is magic in the air this Christmas.
Henry Aster is a bit blue this holiday season after breaking up with a man he was ready to propose to. On a lonely night, Henry makes a wish for “The Perfect Man”. When he gets to his Aunt’s vintage shop the next day, he finds a mess. Broken furniture, clothing and food dropped all over the floor. In the middle of the mess is a male that looks exactly like the mannequin that’s been in the shop for years. How did he suddenly become alive? And he comes with a magic note that says he must experience true love before New Year’s Eve or he goes back to being window dressing.
Henry is smitten. This naive and beautiful man wants to make Henry happy. Being a pretend boyfriend is an easy task. Figuring out food, and telephones and credit cards is a lot more confusing.
Will they fall in love by New Years and get to stay together?
🎧 I alternated between an ebook and audiobook. The narration is performed by Lee Osorio and Mark Sanderlin. Both performances were fantastic in truly bringing the characters to life. I could picture them clearly as I listened. Each did their own chapter POV with two distinct voices for Henry and Aidan as well as the secondary characters. Confusion, disbelief, and wonder came through clearly as the emotions were lifted from the pages.
Each narrator had a distinctive voice but I did find myself listening closely at each change to determine whose POV it was.
I did listen at 1.5 to more closely match my reading speed.
Amusing, sad, a bit heartbreaking, naive cuteness and ultimately an hea.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.
Contemporary M-M magical romance. Alternating first person POV.
There is magic in the air this Christmas.
Henry Aster is a bit blue this holiday season after breaking up with a man he was ready to propose to. On a lonely night, Henry makes a wish for “The Perfect Man”. When he gets to his Aunt’s vintage shop the next day, he finds a mess. Broken furniture, clothing and food dropped all over the floor. In the middle of the mess is a male that looks exactly like the mannequin that’s been in the shop for years. How did he suddenly become alive? And he comes with a magic note that says he must experience true love before New Year’s Eve or he goes back to being window dressing.
Henry is smitten. This naive and beautiful man wants to make Henry happy. Being a pretend boyfriend is an easy task. Figuring out food, and telephones and credit cards is a lot more confusing.
Will they fall in love by New Years and get to stay together?
🎧 I alternated between an ebook and audiobook. The narration is performed by Lee Osorio and Mark Sanderlin. Both performances were fantastic in truly bringing the characters to life. I could picture them clearly as I listened. Each did their own chapter POV with two distinct voices for Henry and Aidan as well as the secondary characters. Confusion, disbelief, and wonder came through clearly as the emotions were lifted from the pages.
Each narrator had a distinctive voice but I did find myself listening closely at each change to determine whose POV it was.
I did listen at 1.5 to more closely match my reading speed.
Amusing, sad, a bit heartbreaking, naive cuteness and ultimately an hea.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.
September 24, 2025
5 stars. Combining a Hallmark-esque romcom premise with excellently crafted character arcs and questions of interiority, A Mannequin for Christmas is my ideal Christmas romance come to life in a darling, delightful package.
October 20, 2025
Not sure how I feel about this one. It was fun and light, but the ending was weird.
Henry received the wish of a lifetime and fights the whole way through believing it is true. Aidan is the mannequin wished to life that needs to have true love before New Years midnight to stay alive. so many fun quirks along the way. Aidan is so fun, learning to be human. Unfortunately Henry is so flawed and tied up in his own drama to see where he can go. Then once we make it past New Years and the story just goes weird and awkward.
I won this in one of the giveaways.
Henry received the wish of a lifetime and fights the whole way through believing it is true. Aidan is the mannequin wished to life that needs to have true love before New Years midnight to stay alive. so many fun quirks along the way. Aidan is so fun, learning to be human. Unfortunately Henry is so flawed and tied up in his own drama to see where he can go. Then once we make it past New Years and the story just goes weird and awkward.
I won this in one of the giveaways.
September 9, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for this ALC of A Mannequin For Christmas.
2⭐️ I felt straight up whimsical when I ended up in Aiden’s head. From the start, his chapters were so fun. Watching him (in my head) just ransack through a store was hilarious. Watching him understand the world was fun. He basically carried the whole book. It was a far easier read than Henry’s POV with all the sadness and fear and sense of impending loss. Then on top of that he’s just full on miserable from start to finish. Henry’s and his entire family was completely unlikable to me. Everyone in the family was so emotionally self-centered and weird. This book leaned on miscommunication and lack of communication. There was a point where I was like “I get Henry being depressed, he was cheated on”. Spoiler: No he wasn’t. He just failed to give us pertinent details that led me to feeling sorry for him when he was the reason for his “loneliness” and art that made up his ENTIRE personality for almost 60% of this book. Everyone but the mannequin treated their loved ones like crap.
I will say the ending chapters should have been an epilogue because of how disjointed it felt from the rest of the book.
Overall, it’s for someone a I’m sure. Just not me.
2⭐️ I felt straight up whimsical when I ended up in Aiden’s head. From the start, his chapters were so fun. Watching him (in my head) just ransack through a store was hilarious. Watching him understand the world was fun. He basically carried the whole book. It was a far easier read than Henry’s POV with all the sadness and fear and sense of impending loss. Then on top of that he’s just full on miserable from start to finish. Henry’s and his entire family was completely unlikable to me. Everyone in the family was so emotionally self-centered and weird. This book leaned on miscommunication and lack of communication. There was a point where I was like “I get Henry being depressed, he was cheated on”. Spoiler: No he wasn’t. He just failed to give us pertinent details that led me to feeling sorry for him when he was the reason for his “loneliness” and art that made up his ENTIRE personality for almost 60% of this book. Everyone but the mannequin treated their loved ones like crap.
I will say the ending chapters should have been an epilogue because of how disjointed it felt from the rest of the book.
Overall, it’s for someone a I’m sure. Just not me.
August 17, 2025
Henry is generally unlucky in love, and when he is unexpectedly facing another holiday season alone, he makes a wish for “The Perfect Man.” He never expected his family’s vintage store male display mannequins has sprung to life - and sprung into Henry’s heart. After watching a bit too much #SATC, the mannequin names himself Aidan, and has to learn to navigate a new human world in all the ways one would expect (major applause to the #ASD shout out at the beginning of the book!). The catch? Aidan has to find true love before New Year’s Eve, or else his newfound life as a human will turn back to plastic.
I absolutely loved the audiobook narration by Lee Osorio & Mark Sanderlin! Mark Sanderlin could read me a CVS receipt and I’d still swoon, and Lee Osorio’s narration of Aidan was the perfect encapsulation of a “new to humanity” anthropomorphized mannequin. It’s #magicalrealism, #forcedproximity, and Christmas all rolled into one! The audiobook felt like watching a Lifetime Christmas movie in my ears, and I never wanted to push pause! The characters are endearing, and I couldn’t help but fall for Aidan’s charm. I’m definitely going to recommend this to any fan of #MMRomance, particularly those in the mood for a holiday (#HoliGay?) twist.
Reviewed as part of #ARC from #NetGalley. Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
Read this book if you’re a fan of:
👑 Tyra Banks’s iconic role of Eve in Life-Size
🗽 Sex and the City or Just Like That
🪄 magical realism with heart
Follow me on Instagram for more book reviews!
I absolutely loved the audiobook narration by Lee Osorio & Mark Sanderlin! Mark Sanderlin could read me a CVS receipt and I’d still swoon, and Lee Osorio’s narration of Aidan was the perfect encapsulation of a “new to humanity” anthropomorphized mannequin. It’s #magicalrealism, #forcedproximity, and Christmas all rolled into one! The audiobook felt like watching a Lifetime Christmas movie in my ears, and I never wanted to push pause! The characters are endearing, and I couldn’t help but fall for Aidan’s charm. I’m definitely going to recommend this to any fan of #MMRomance, particularly those in the mood for a holiday (#HoliGay?) twist.
Reviewed as part of #ARC from #NetGalley. Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
Read this book if you’re a fan of:
👑 Tyra Banks’s iconic role of Eve in Life-Size
🗽 Sex and the City or Just Like That
🪄 magical realism with heart
Follow me on Instagram for more book reviews!
September 4, 2025
Holy Smokes! I absolutely adore Timothy Janovsky. He writes the most unique, creative, and inspirational stories, and A Mannequin for Christmas will satisfy all your needs for romance, hurt/comfort, family drama, and LOVE as well.
This is such a charming and clever tale, and I highly recommend it.
an advanced copy of A Mannequin for Christmas was provided by St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin, via NetGalley, for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
This is such a charming and clever tale, and I highly recommend it.
an advanced copy of A Mannequin for Christmas was provided by St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin, via NetGalley, for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
November 24, 2025
that man was way too chill about being in that much credit card debt
October 3, 2025
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Henry Aster is 28, a bit hopeless and directionless, and struggling to keep his aunt's vintage shop open. After a devastating breakup and dreading terrible loneliness during the holiday season, Henry makes a wish upona star sand: he wants to meet the perfect man. Meanwhile, in his aunt's shop, a mannequin comes to life...
This is not my first Janovsky book (by far), and to start off this review, I can say that this one shows growth. One of my usual gripes with his previous books is pacing, but this holds up better and doesn't feel long. It's a much smoother reading experience overall and delivers what's on the tin: a whimsical holiday rom-com.
However, the characterization throughout the book was rather painful. Much of it feels too unserious while taking itself very seriously. The mannequin's personality and knowledge base shift arbitrarily for comedic effect. There's also an uncomfortable juxtaposition of childlike innocence (à la The Little Mermaid) with romantic moments and scenes with sexual undertones. Despite this, Aidan still manages to be the more endearing of the two. Henry, on the other hand, is quite unlikeable, with murky motivations and the charisma of a dead fish. I did NOT appreciate the bold reveal at 80% it didn't fit the book's "vibe" at all. His characterization felt all over the place: supposedly a perfectionist (but that's never actually shown on the page); supposedly dealing with chronic anxiety (which doesn't really come into play); wishing for the perfect man but actively trying to undo his wish (and essentially kill the mannequin, excuse me) for the first quarter of the book, etc. In the end, I didn’t believe in his character as a person and didn't root for him.
I have other complaints, such as a horrific pet death played for laughs, and a few key details left without any pay off The worst part, though, is the ending, which I can see causing issues for many readers. You’ll either love it or hate it. (SPOILERS) By the last chapter, I did NOT want the MCs to be together and did NOT believe in their happily-ever-after.
I did feel for Aidan and a scene towards the end nearly had me misty-eyed. It almost worked for me. The core themes touched upon are strong and could have delivered a very poignant story, but it ultimately fell flat for me and I ended up feeling like a grinch.
In the end, readers who love Janovsky's catalog will likely enjoy this new release. Readers will find what they paid for here and surely enjoy most of the experience. It's inoffensive (well, aside from the gruesome pet death) and fairly memorable, drawing on several well-loved tropes. Aunt Isla alone carries the book into a more enjoyable experience. If you’re looking for a safe holiday rom-com to get into, this might be the perfect pick for you!
Henry Aster is 28, a bit hopeless and directionless, and struggling to keep his aunt's vintage shop open. After a devastating breakup and dreading terrible loneliness during the holiday season, Henry makes a wish upon
This is not my first Janovsky book (by far), and to start off this review, I can say that this one shows growth. One of my usual gripes with his previous books is pacing, but this holds up better and doesn't feel long. It's a much smoother reading experience overall and delivers what's on the tin: a whimsical holiday rom-com.
However, the characterization throughout the book was rather painful. Much of it feels too unserious while taking itself very seriously. The mannequin's personality and knowledge base shift arbitrarily for comedic effect. There's also an uncomfortable juxtaposition of childlike innocence (à la The Little Mermaid) with romantic moments and scenes with sexual undertones. Despite this, Aidan still manages to be the more endearing of the two. Henry, on the other hand, is quite unlikeable, with murky motivations and the charisma of a dead fish. I did NOT appreciate the bold reveal at 80% it didn't fit the book's "vibe" at all. His characterization felt all over the place: supposedly a perfectionist (but that's never actually shown on the page); supposedly dealing with chronic anxiety (which doesn't really come into play); wishing for the perfect man but actively trying to undo his wish (and essentially kill the mannequin, excuse me) for the first quarter of the book, etc. In the end, I didn’t believe in his character as a person and didn't root for him.
I have other complaints, such as a horrific pet death played for laughs, and a few key details left without any pay off The worst part, though, is the ending, which I can see causing issues for many readers. You’ll either love it or hate it. (SPOILERS) By the last chapter, I did NOT want the MCs to be together and did NOT believe in their happily-ever-after.
I did feel for Aidan and a scene towards the end nearly had me misty-eyed. It almost worked for me. The core themes touched upon are strong and could have delivered a very poignant story, but it ultimately fell flat for me and I ended up feeling like a grinch.
In the end, readers who love Janovsky's catalog will likely enjoy this new release. Readers will find what they paid for here and surely enjoy most of the experience. It's inoffensive (well, aside from the gruesome pet death) and fairly memorable, drawing on several well-loved tropes. Aunt Isla alone carries the book into a more enjoyable experience. If you’re looking for a safe holiday rom-com to get into, this might be the perfect pick for you!
December 14, 2025
What I would give for one of my Christmas wishes, for the perfect man, to come true!! lol
Henry and Aiden were a cute couple and they really learned a lot from each other. The ending wasn’t my favorite but was still really good!
Henry and Aiden were a cute couple and they really learned a lot from each other. The ending wasn’t my favorite but was still really good!
December 7, 2025
not sure which made me more mad: the text being off center on the page, or this absolute dogshit story
May 14, 2025
Mixing elements from both holiday and light magical romance genres, Timothy Janovsky’s A Mannequin for Christmas novel is a light-hearted and cute story perfect for the holidays, though it’s still a solid read outside of the winter months (I read the ARC going into the summer, oops). A cross between the 1980’s movie Mannequin and the classic Disney movie Life Sized, paired with the wishing/midnight hour premise of Cinderella, the story has a charming whimsical feel despite clearly having the light spice and style of an adult romance novel. Likewise, the comedic and sillier moments are nicely balanced out with more serious and somber content, resulting in a well-rounded novel that’s far more ambitious than most holiday themed stories.
The story follows Henry’s struggles and insecurities revolving around maintaining his Aunt Isla’s vintage items store as well as his recent breakup, and in a moment of despair, he makes a wish at the afternoon magic hour for a perfect man. Between Henry’s amusing horror at the mannequin/Aidan’s sudden appearance and Aidan’s childlike confusion at how to be a functional human, the story on paper is quite light-hearted and playful. Although it’s only briefly mentioned in the premise, besides the humanized mannequin narrative, there’s a secondary storyline revolving around Henry’s Aunt Isla who has entrusted her store Isla’s Attic to him following her admittance to a senior living center as well as Henry’s diminished passion for creating art. Although the perfect man-nequin romance is the eye-catching hook of the novel, the other plot threads are equally as important and compelling that really tie the whole story together.
While early chapters start out rather silly and comically ridiculous courtesy of Aidan’s ignorance at being a human (the narrative decision to make Aidan initially naïve and helpless at living is quite a choice, more on that shortly), there’s far more weight behind the story beyond the initial goofiness. Despite the colorful and festive flourishes, there’s a notable wistful, melancholy feeling that runs quietly through all the events of the story. From Henry’s increasingly heavy realization of his beloved Aunt Isla’s mortality, his incredibly terrible sense of self-worth both professionally and romantically, Aidan’s unexpectedly well-written sense of existential crisis and lack of family/history, A Mannequin for Christmas is not just fun hijinks and meet-cutes.
While Janovsky’s writing style is casually modern with an extra touch of queer flamboyance perfectly suited for the novel’s genre, there's an added sense of confidence and introspection that I found particularly great. Having read several of his past novels, there’s always more ambition and solid character drama beyond the light-hearted presentations. At a surface level, Janovsky’s tone and humor walks a fine line between being endearingly sweet vs embarrassingly cringe (I for one like a hint of cringe in my life personally), but despite the occasional slapstick shenanigans, the end result is always really wholesome and warm-hearted. While the intentional jokes hit the right notes, both holiday-themed and not (references to the 12 Days of Christmas lyrics were particularly fun and a certain recurring joke based around wig snatching had me rolling repeatedly), it’s the quieter moments that I found particularly impressive. Most afternoon beach scenes that featured Henry reflecting on past events were highlights for me as well as Aidan’s curious probing around Henry’s numerous insecurities. But the story’s best narrative moments were pretty much every scene involving Aunt Isla, both Henry and Aidan jointly as well as those separately. The maternal and queer wisdom she provided both men as well as her general presence in the story added so much and is the main reason why this story is quite enjoyable and rewarding to read even outside of winter months.
As the story progressed and the focal Christmas family reunion dinner occurred, A Mannequin for Christmas pleasantly caught me off-guard with quite a few of its plot twists. For the majority of the book, the story intentionally captures the cheesy and familiar Hallmark Christmas movie feel with a queer spin, a point that the novel constantly pokes fun at via Aidan’s binge-watching of Hallmark movies and HBO dramas. But the book’s expected 3rd act conflicts went in a far different direction than one would expect for Hallmark-style stories and one that I personally really enjoyed. It almost seems like a romance novel requirement to have romantic leads get into some sort of argument, separate, only for them to realize their differences (usually miscommunication-based) to finish out with a happily ever after. A Mannequin for Christmas followed that formula but had Henry and Aidan part for very different reasons. There’s a constant theme of trying to find love as well as allowing oneself to be vulnerable despite the risks of a fall, but the characters' mutual understandings and decisions just before the story’s conclusion were chef’s kiss. I have nothing but respect for Janovsky’s risky narrative decision for that last separation for the sake of important character growth, making their Henry and Aidan’s later reunion all the more sweeter and satisfying to read. Some other reviewers felt that the ending and reunion was out of place or poorly executed, which I sharply disagree with. If you pay attention to the recurring themes of Henry’s conflicted feelings caring for Aidan and the fear of living for oneself and passions, the ending makes perfect sense and makes for a far stronger character conclusion vs a simpler HEA if they stay together 24/7.
The story is presented from both Henry and Aidan’s point of view, with chapters alternating, though that’s not always the case as Henry is clearly the main character of the two. When it comes to the characters, Janovsky did a great job of making them both inherently likable and very relatable. All of Janovsky’s past main characters have explored different areas of neurodivergence, and his portrayal of Henry’s anxiety-ridden internal intrusive thoughts were well done without it taking over the novel’s entire story. While Henry also had a recurring issue of being a perfectionist and trend for jealousy, I never found him off-putting or unpleasant (compare that to Janovsky’s past MC Matthew Prince). I also have nothing bad to say about Aunt Isla who was colorfully distinctive and a parental icon most queer kids would love to have. On the other hand, while Aidan’s eventual introspective and curious personality grew on me as well as his matter-of-fact dryness, I had mixed feelings about his perspective initially.
While I enjoyed reading the novel as a whole, the early chapters from Aidan’s perspective required quite a bit of suspension of disbelief and I found a few choices relating to his character odd. When the story first introduces Aidan, he has almost a childlike demeanor and knowledge, almost like an old-school robot or AI personality. That’s to be expected for the story’s premise, but Janovsky makes the narrative choice to have Aidan the mannequin has zero knowledge of living as a human. While issues involving social cues, concepts of money and jobs, and all the confusion around romance are to be expected, Aidan is portrayed as having no idea what food is, what a store is, how basic things work, etc. That’s fine, but then right after he’s shown to know how to use a sink faucet to drink water (he has the instinct to drink water from a tap vs his confusion about a fridge holding food) as well as being able to use door handles and other everyday objects. The next day Henry must show Aidan how to take a shower (yes, I know it’s for romance purposes and Aidan stripping eye-candy) but the story conveniently sidesteps his knowledge of using the bathroom. Normally I wouldn’t fault the story for skipping over these less flattering topics, but the novel goes into great detail about Aidan’s crazed food feasting, aches, and ignorance for very similar things where the book seems to be at odds with how far it wants to take the “living as a human” concept. I personally would’ve preferred it if the novel opted for a less literal approach to the living human idea and had Aidan already know how to do basic human activities but struggle with the societal elements only. Henry teaching Aidan how to exist was generally at its best for me when they were discussing more abstract philosophical topics or human etiquette rather than physically being alive.
The other potential sticking point that some readers may also take minor issue with is the unorthodox caretaker/creator and student/subordinate relationship between Henry and Aidan. Due to the choice for Aidan to start with a very child-like innocence and ignorance, there’s a possibility that their uneven power dynamics early-on can feel slightly creepy or off-putting. Both men are clearly physically adults but when one has such a naivety to them while the other has thirsting eyes, there’s something that feels a little wrong if you think too much about it. To Janovsky’s credit this issue goes away pretty fast (Henry’s self-awareness of the situation helps a lot) and the 3rd act conflict/separation is entirely intentional to address concerns regarding Aidan’s sheltered nature, but again this would be less noticeable had the story not focused so much on Aidan’s literal learning to exist as a human and Henry having to act as a half parental guardian, half fake boyfriend debacle.
While I had some minor nitpicks with a few of the narrative choices near the start of the story, from about the half-way point onward I thought the rest of the novel was excellent! The character work, relationship shifts, introspective reflections, I feel like Janovsky’s character work just gets better and better with every one of his novels that I have the pleasure of reading (Never Been Kissed’s Alice Kelly was no slouch, but Aunt Isla is considerably more complex and nuanced of a senior female character). And regardless of what is happening in the story, there’s always a sense of warmth and earnestness that makes his novels so easy to fall in love with, especially for younger queer readers that may also suffer from similar social anxieties and worries as his main characters. While the holiday theme and the mannequin premise get your attention (not to mention the great book cover design), the thoughtful reflections about love and life are why you’ll stay well beyond New Years Eve, just like Aidan.
This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
*For more reviews, book lists and reading updates, checkout my blog TheBookGrind!
The story follows Henry’s struggles and insecurities revolving around maintaining his Aunt Isla’s vintage items store as well as his recent breakup, and in a moment of despair, he makes a wish at the afternoon magic hour for a perfect man. Between Henry’s amusing horror at the mannequin/Aidan’s sudden appearance and Aidan’s childlike confusion at how to be a functional human, the story on paper is quite light-hearted and playful. Although it’s only briefly mentioned in the premise, besides the humanized mannequin narrative, there’s a secondary storyline revolving around Henry’s Aunt Isla who has entrusted her store Isla’s Attic to him following her admittance to a senior living center as well as Henry’s diminished passion for creating art. Although the perfect man-nequin romance is the eye-catching hook of the novel, the other plot threads are equally as important and compelling that really tie the whole story together.
While early chapters start out rather silly and comically ridiculous courtesy of Aidan’s ignorance at being a human (the narrative decision to make Aidan initially naïve and helpless at living is quite a choice, more on that shortly), there’s far more weight behind the story beyond the initial goofiness. Despite the colorful and festive flourishes, there’s a notable wistful, melancholy feeling that runs quietly through all the events of the story. From Henry’s increasingly heavy realization of his beloved Aunt Isla’s mortality, his incredibly terrible sense of self-worth both professionally and romantically, Aidan’s unexpectedly well-written sense of existential crisis and lack of family/history, A Mannequin for Christmas is not just fun hijinks and meet-cutes.
While Janovsky’s writing style is casually modern with an extra touch of queer flamboyance perfectly suited for the novel’s genre, there's an added sense of confidence and introspection that I found particularly great. Having read several of his past novels, there’s always more ambition and solid character drama beyond the light-hearted presentations. At a surface level, Janovsky’s tone and humor walks a fine line between being endearingly sweet vs embarrassingly cringe (I for one like a hint of cringe in my life personally), but despite the occasional slapstick shenanigans, the end result is always really wholesome and warm-hearted. While the intentional jokes hit the right notes, both holiday-themed and not (references to the 12 Days of Christmas lyrics were particularly fun and a certain recurring joke based around wig snatching had me rolling repeatedly), it’s the quieter moments that I found particularly impressive. Most afternoon beach scenes that featured Henry reflecting on past events were highlights for me as well as Aidan’s curious probing around Henry’s numerous insecurities. But the story’s best narrative moments were pretty much every scene involving Aunt Isla, both Henry and Aidan jointly as well as those separately. The maternal and queer wisdom she provided both men as well as her general presence in the story added so much and is the main reason why this story is quite enjoyable and rewarding to read even outside of winter months.
As the story progressed and the focal Christmas family reunion dinner occurred, A Mannequin for Christmas pleasantly caught me off-guard with quite a few of its plot twists. For the majority of the book, the story intentionally captures the cheesy and familiar Hallmark Christmas movie feel with a queer spin, a point that the novel constantly pokes fun at via Aidan’s binge-watching of Hallmark movies and HBO dramas. But the book’s expected 3rd act conflicts went in a far different direction than one would expect for Hallmark-style stories and one that I personally really enjoyed. It almost seems like a romance novel requirement to have romantic leads get into some sort of argument, separate, only for them to realize their differences (usually miscommunication-based) to finish out with a happily ever after. A Mannequin for Christmas followed that formula but had Henry and Aidan part for very different reasons. There’s a constant theme of trying to find love as well as allowing oneself to be vulnerable despite the risks of a fall, but the characters' mutual understandings and decisions just before the story’s conclusion were chef’s kiss. I have nothing but respect for Janovsky’s risky narrative decision for that last separation for the sake of important character growth, making their Henry and Aidan’s later reunion all the more sweeter and satisfying to read. Some other reviewers felt that the ending and reunion was out of place or poorly executed, which I sharply disagree with. If you pay attention to the recurring themes of Henry’s conflicted feelings caring for Aidan and the fear of living for oneself and passions, the ending makes perfect sense and makes for a far stronger character conclusion vs a simpler HEA if they stay together 24/7.
The story is presented from both Henry and Aidan’s point of view, with chapters alternating, though that’s not always the case as Henry is clearly the main character of the two. When it comes to the characters, Janovsky did a great job of making them both inherently likable and very relatable. All of Janovsky’s past main characters have explored different areas of neurodivergence, and his portrayal of Henry’s anxiety-ridden internal intrusive thoughts were well done without it taking over the novel’s entire story. While Henry also had a recurring issue of being a perfectionist and trend for jealousy, I never found him off-putting or unpleasant (compare that to Janovsky’s past MC Matthew Prince). I also have nothing bad to say about Aunt Isla who was colorfully distinctive and a parental icon most queer kids would love to have. On the other hand, while Aidan’s eventual introspective and curious personality grew on me as well as his matter-of-fact dryness, I had mixed feelings about his perspective initially.
While I enjoyed reading the novel as a whole, the early chapters from Aidan’s perspective required quite a bit of suspension of disbelief and I found a few choices relating to his character odd. When the story first introduces Aidan, he has almost a childlike demeanor and knowledge, almost like an old-school robot or AI personality. That’s to be expected for the story’s premise, but Janovsky makes the narrative choice to have Aidan the mannequin has zero knowledge of living as a human. While issues involving social cues, concepts of money and jobs, and all the confusion around romance are to be expected, Aidan is portrayed as having no idea what food is, what a store is, how basic things work, etc. That’s fine, but then right after he’s shown to know how to use a sink faucet to drink water (he has the instinct to drink water from a tap vs his confusion about a fridge holding food) as well as being able to use door handles and other everyday objects. The next day Henry must show Aidan how to take a shower (yes, I know it’s for romance purposes and Aidan stripping eye-candy) but the story conveniently sidesteps his knowledge of using the bathroom. Normally I wouldn’t fault the story for skipping over these less flattering topics, but the novel goes into great detail about Aidan’s crazed food feasting, aches, and ignorance for very similar things where the book seems to be at odds with how far it wants to take the “living as a human” concept. I personally would’ve preferred it if the novel opted for a less literal approach to the living human idea and had Aidan already know how to do basic human activities but struggle with the societal elements only. Henry teaching Aidan how to exist was generally at its best for me when they were discussing more abstract philosophical topics or human etiquette rather than physically being alive.
The other potential sticking point that some readers may also take minor issue with is the unorthodox caretaker/creator and student/subordinate relationship between Henry and Aidan. Due to the choice for Aidan to start with a very child-like innocence and ignorance, there’s a possibility that their uneven power dynamics early-on can feel slightly creepy or off-putting. Both men are clearly physically adults but when one has such a naivety to them while the other has thirsting eyes, there’s something that feels a little wrong if you think too much about it. To Janovsky’s credit this issue goes away pretty fast (Henry’s self-awareness of the situation helps a lot) and the 3rd act conflict/separation is entirely intentional to address concerns regarding Aidan’s sheltered nature, but again this would be less noticeable had the story not focused so much on Aidan’s literal learning to exist as a human and Henry having to act as a half parental guardian, half fake boyfriend debacle.
While I had some minor nitpicks with a few of the narrative choices near the start of the story, from about the half-way point onward I thought the rest of the novel was excellent! The character work, relationship shifts, introspective reflections, I feel like Janovsky’s character work just gets better and better with every one of his novels that I have the pleasure of reading (Never Been Kissed’s Alice Kelly was no slouch, but Aunt Isla is considerably more complex and nuanced of a senior female character). And regardless of what is happening in the story, there’s always a sense of warmth and earnestness that makes his novels so easy to fall in love with, especially for younger queer readers that may also suffer from similar social anxieties and worries as his main characters. While the holiday theme and the mannequin premise get your attention (not to mention the great book cover design), the thoughtful reflections about love and life are why you’ll stay well beyond New Years Eve, just like Aidan.
This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
*For more reviews, book lists and reading updates, checkout my blog TheBookGrind!
November 7, 2025
woah . i have a lot to say about this book.
honestly, it’s probably a me thing that i didn’t like this book that much. i was actually going to give it 4 stars up until the middle of it and the. it went downhill.
so i will make a list of things i hated it and that made me really angry
FIRST
henry has no self love, he clearly doesn’t love himself and doesn’t know how to stand up for himself because why would you keep a best friend that is dating your BULLY from back in school and also treats you bad … honestly it’s beyond me that they “talked” about all that and stayed friends.
SECOND
WHY . DID . HE . APOLOGIZE . TO . HIS EX ……. like i get they “talked” about an open relationship and henry said he was fine but did they actually sat down and talk or was it just a comment … honestly it’s annoying all that with the ex, why did he have to go and say he’s sorry ….
THIRD
whatever happened with Aidan leaving … so unnecessary and i lost the connection with the character by that point and did not felt their love at last. honestly that whole thing was just empty if that makes sense ..
FOURTH
there was this comment about social anxiety being a less serious disorder which on one side i get it because there are other mood disorders that are maybe in a way stronger (?) but i guess that’s how henry sees it and maybe that was the point but as someone with social anxiety it did made me feel kinda meh :/ maybe it’s a me thing and there’s people out there that liked this book and i respect that !
and don’t even make me talk about the funeral … that’s another thing i really disliked ..
the 2 stars are because of Aidan up until he leaves .. honestly probably someone out there will like this book but it was definitely not for me
i got an arc from netgalley
honestly, it’s probably a me thing that i didn’t like this book that much. i was actually going to give it 4 stars up until the middle of it and the. it went downhill.
so i will make a list of things i hated it and that made me really angry
FIRST
henry has no self love, he clearly doesn’t love himself and doesn’t know how to stand up for himself because why would you keep a best friend that is dating your BULLY from back in school and also treats you bad … honestly it’s beyond me that they “talked” about all that and stayed friends.
SECOND
WHY . DID . HE . APOLOGIZE . TO . HIS EX ……. like i get they “talked” about an open relationship and henry said he was fine but did they actually sat down and talk or was it just a comment … honestly it’s annoying all that with the ex, why did he have to go and say he’s sorry ….
THIRD
whatever happened with Aidan leaving … so unnecessary and i lost the connection with the character by that point and did not felt their love at last. honestly that whole thing was just empty if that makes sense ..
FOURTH
there was this comment about social anxiety being a less serious disorder which on one side i get it because there are other mood disorders that are maybe in a way stronger (?) but i guess that’s how henry sees it and maybe that was the point but as someone with social anxiety it did made me feel kinda meh :/ maybe it’s a me thing and there’s people out there that liked this book and i respect that !
and don’t even make me talk about the funeral … that’s another thing i really disliked ..
the 2 stars are because of Aidan up until he leaves .. honestly probably someone out there will like this book but it was definitely not for me
i got an arc from netgalley
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2025
ARC Review:
I was hesitant to pick this up after seeing the title. I love Timothy Janovsky, but I didn’t enjoy the magical element to his last Christmas novel. However, I LOVED this one! It was like “Life Size,” meets “The Little Mermaid,” but gay. I was here for it!
Henry and Aiden’s banter made me giggle throughout the entire book. Aiden’s innocence as a human was charming and quirky. The premise was slightly cheesy (fall in love or you’ll turn back into a mannequin forever!), but Timothy’s writing style and character development made up for it.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I always look forward to Timothy’s new releases and this one didn’t disappoint!
I was hesitant to pick this up after seeing the title. I love Timothy Janovsky, but I didn’t enjoy the magical element to his last Christmas novel. However, I LOVED this one! It was like “Life Size,” meets “The Little Mermaid,” but gay. I was here for it!
Henry and Aiden’s banter made me giggle throughout the entire book. Aiden’s innocence as a human was charming and quirky. The premise was slightly cheesy (fall in love or you’ll turn back into a mannequin forever!), but Timothy’s writing style and character development made up for it.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I always look forward to Timothy’s new releases and this one didn’t disappoint!
September 1, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is basically the movie Life Size mlm edition, and it's just as ridiculous as it sounds. But for a Christmas romance, ridiculousness should be expected. The romance progressed a little too quickly in my opinion. Henry's abrupt shift from finding Aidan a burden to being enamored by him gave me whiplash. But again, Christmas romance. You can't go into a Hallmark-esque story and complain about the Hallmark vibes.
Aidan is the saving grace of this book by far. He was an absolute delight. I also really enjoyed how his arc concluded, though perhaps it could've been weaved into the narrative a little sooner. Henry was okay, I didn't love him or hate him. But I appreciate that the author pointed out that Henry's lackluster love life didn't entirely fall on the shoulders of his POS exes. It was nice to see him reflect on his own flaws and insecurities so that he can work on not making the same mistakes with Aidan.
Overall, I had fun. My enjoyment was slightly tampered by the fact I read it in August and my Christmas spirit is on standby, but I can see others finding the magic in it come December.
This is basically the movie Life Size mlm edition, and it's just as ridiculous as it sounds. But for a Christmas romance, ridiculousness should be expected. The romance progressed a little too quickly in my opinion. Henry's abrupt shift from finding Aidan a burden to being enamored by him gave me whiplash. But again, Christmas romance. You can't go into a Hallmark-esque story and complain about the Hallmark vibes.
Aidan is the saving grace of this book by far. He was an absolute delight. I also really enjoyed how his arc concluded, though perhaps it could've been weaved into the narrative a little sooner. Henry was okay, I didn't love him or hate him. But I appreciate that the author pointed out that Henry's lackluster love life didn't entirely fall on the shoulders of his POS exes. It was nice to see him reflect on his own flaws and insecurities so that he can work on not making the same mistakes with Aidan.
Overall, I had fun. My enjoyment was slightly tampered by the fact I read it in August and my Christmas spirit is on standby, but I can see others finding the magic in it come December.
December 8, 2025
ARC REVIEW (9/30/25): a mannequin for christmas by timothy janovsky 🎅🏻 a lonely vintage shop owner wishes for "the perfect man," causing one of his store's mannequins to magically come to life, giving them one month to find true love.
will this romance end up on the naughty or nice list? my ruling is to be determined 💖 I felt straight up whimsical when I ended up in aiden’s head… despite his being part plastic. from the very start, his chapters were so fun! watching him attempt to understand the world felt like a jolly sleigh ride to read about!
✨ but from henry’s pov, unfortunately for the reader, he is so flawed and tied up in his own drama to see how/where he can flourish in life. I understand being stuck in that phase, but for the sake of this quirky romance, I wish he had dealt with his issues differently for the sake of the plot. his family def didn’t help the matter!!
the gifts aiden bought henry for christmas were COMICAL. just imagining that scenario had me laughing out loud! thank you macmillan audio for the early copy 🎁 3 stars!
will this romance end up on the naughty or nice list? my ruling is to be determined 💖 I felt straight up whimsical when I ended up in aiden’s head… despite his being part plastic. from the very start, his chapters were so fun! watching him attempt to understand the world felt like a jolly sleigh ride to read about!
✨ but from henry’s pov, unfortunately for the reader, he is so flawed and tied up in his own drama to see how/where he can flourish in life. I understand being stuck in that phase, but for the sake of this quirky romance, I wish he had dealt with his issues differently for the sake of the plot. his family def didn’t help the matter!!
the gifts aiden bought henry for christmas were COMICAL. just imagining that scenario had me laughing out loud! thank you macmillan audio for the early copy 🎁 3 stars!
August 13, 2025
4.25 stars
I would describe the vibes of this book as “What if Buddy the Elf started in a Hallmark Christmas movie?”
Aidan was so funny and charming. The way he slowly learned about the world and being human was really endearing and lots of fun. I enjoyed the way he was so willing to help Henry with the store and how everyone just seemed to like him. Henry was definitely a contrast to that - he was hung up on about of things from his past and honestly just had too much going on in his personal life. Aidan really helped him move past those things and they had a really sweet relationship.
I did find it a little weird that the mannequin had been in Henry’s life since he was a child and then they were together? But also everything was so absurd that I guess it doesn’t matter. Idk. But other than that this was a lighthearted yet emotional Christmas read with a magical twist.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC!
I would describe the vibes of this book as “What if Buddy the Elf started in a Hallmark Christmas movie?”
Aidan was so funny and charming. The way he slowly learned about the world and being human was really endearing and lots of fun. I enjoyed the way he was so willing to help Henry with the store and how everyone just seemed to like him. Henry was definitely a contrast to that - he was hung up on about of things from his past and honestly just had too much going on in his personal life. Aidan really helped him move past those things and they had a really sweet relationship.
I did find it a little weird that the mannequin had been in Henry’s life since he was a child and then they were together? But also everything was so absurd that I guess it doesn’t matter. Idk. But other than that this was a lighthearted yet emotional Christmas read with a magical twist.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC!
September 5, 2025
3.5 ⭐️Mmmk this was cute! A little deeper than I thought it would be and parts of the ending bummed me out a little bit but I did enjoy it! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC
December 14, 2025
But why was that mannequin so good at math?
December 17, 2025
The ending of this book made me angry cry. I literally wanted to throw up. And then it barely resolves on the last page.
December 23, 2025
Charming! Any parts where I initially thought “eh I’m not sure how I feel about that…” resolved in totally non-toxic ways and the ending is so sweet.
August 19, 2025
First, thank you to St Martins Press for the ARC. This was my first ARC and I was so excited to receive it regardless what it was about. This is not my typical genre, but I do love a good rom com and this was a good one. If you remember the movie Mannequin, if you loved S*x and the city, if you like Christmas romances, you might enjoy this book by Timothy Janovsky. This is the first of Janovsky’s books I have read. It is very light hearted, quirky, cute and just a feel good novel. I laughed at Aiden trying to be a real person, rolled my eyes at Henry a few times, but smiled almost all the way through. It’s a feel good rom-com, challenges the characters to realize the difference between what they want versus what they need and deserve.
December 6, 2025
95% of this book is about as paint by numbers Hallmark romcom as you can get. Utterly saccharine and predictable.
The remaining 5% has the most out of nowhere tonal shift you can imagine. It’s one of most surreal, cynical, and contrived endings I’ve seen in ages.
I’m honestly floored at how much whiplash I’m feeling right now. I get what it’s trying to say, but it really does come out of nowhere.
It’s like the author suddenly decided to switch course once he was almost finished, but forgot to account for that when he was editing.
The remaining 5% has the most out of nowhere tonal shift you can imagine. It’s one of most surreal, cynical, and contrived endings I’ve seen in ages.
I’m honestly floored at how much whiplash I’m feeling right now. I get what it’s trying to say, but it really does come out of nowhere.
It’s like the author suddenly decided to switch course once he was almost finished, but forgot to account for that when he was editing.
October 21, 2025
**I had a BLAST doing the audio on a reread - Lee Osorio and Mark Sanderlin were fantastic.**
Thank you @stmartinspress @youhadmeathea for an advanced copy to review!
I had a BLAST reading @timothyjanovsky’s upcoming Christmas rom com. Yall, it was SO MUCH FUN and if you grew up watching the movie Life Size on TV, you’ll adore this one.
It is so smart and ridiculously funny. The banter kept me cracking up as I watched Aiden and Henry fall in love. The cast of characters were great, and I actually REALLY loved the end. It made me so incredibly happy.
Aiden’s literal personality had me in stitches nearly the entire book, and I felt Henry’s fear of people leaving him and being alone in my core. My heart!!
Also - knowing that Lee Osorio and @itsmarksanderlin narrate this one has me itching to listen to the audio. I could literally hear them in my head as I read this book. So incredibly good.
Would fully recommend! Funniest book by Timothy yet!
October 23, 2025
Henry dreams of finding the love of his life. It’s definitely not his ex who cheated on him. So when he wishes for the perfect man, the mannequin in his vintage store window comes to life. He calls himself Aiden and carries a card that says if he can find true love by New Years he’ll get to stay human. Henry sets out to teach Aiden everything about life and in the process begins to lose his heart. But is it fair to ask Aiden to settle for Henry when he doesn’t know anyone else?
What I liked:
Henry was very relatable with his anxiety and insecurity. The parts of the plot that involved teaching Aiden how to function as a human were fresh and fun. Henry’s indomitable feisty Great Aunt, owner of his vintage store, was a hoot. She was my favorite character. The dual POV was well done, and the narrators both did an excellent job.
What I didn’t like:
I never felt much chemistry or sexual tension between the characters. Most of their deep conversations were off page or mentioned in passing, so the reader didn’t get to see them getting closer. The spicy scenes were fade to black so we didn’t see any passion either. But my biggest issue with the book is below in the spoiler section.
Spoiler:
The big climactic scene of the book is Henry confessing his love just before midnight New Year’s Eve, allowing Aiden to stay human. However, they realize that Aiden needs more life experience before committing to Henry. So he sets off to see the world and find himself. The last chapter spans two years (whereas the rest of the book covers one month) and is quickly told in flashbacks when Henry and Aiden finally meet again. I felt like there was a lot of growth and character development in that chapter that I would have liked to have seen played out on the page. I think the rest of the book should have been shortened and made part one. And then the last chapter lengthened and made part two. It would have given the book so much more depth.
Overall it was a cute Hallmark type Christmas story without the depth it could have had.
Thank you to @Netgalley @stmartinspress and @youhadmeathea for the chance to review this ARC.
What I liked:
Henry was very relatable with his anxiety and insecurity. The parts of the plot that involved teaching Aiden how to function as a human were fresh and fun. Henry’s indomitable feisty Great Aunt, owner of his vintage store, was a hoot. She was my favorite character. The dual POV was well done, and the narrators both did an excellent job.
What I didn’t like:
I never felt much chemistry or sexual tension between the characters. Most of their deep conversations were off page or mentioned in passing, so the reader didn’t get to see them getting closer. The spicy scenes were fade to black so we didn’t see any passion either. But my biggest issue with the book is below in the spoiler section.
Spoiler:
The big climactic scene of the book is Henry confessing his love just before midnight New Year’s Eve, allowing Aiden to stay human. However, they realize that Aiden needs more life experience before committing to Henry. So he sets off to see the world and find himself. The last chapter spans two years (whereas the rest of the book covers one month) and is quickly told in flashbacks when Henry and Aiden finally meet again. I felt like there was a lot of growth and character development in that chapter that I would have liked to have seen played out on the page. I think the rest of the book should have been shortened and made part one. And then the last chapter lengthened and made part two. It would have given the book so much more depth.
Overall it was a cute Hallmark type Christmas story without the depth it could have had.
Thank you to @Netgalley @stmartinspress and @youhadmeathea for the chance to review this ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews