A Knight Before Christmas

Fairytale in Progress #2

by Cara Stout

Just like Romeo, he’s falling for Juliet.

Juliet Ripley doesn’t believe in love. She’s witnessed more than her fair share of tragic endings and has sworn off the cursed thing for good. But when Beeloved, the dating app her overbearing mum runs, needs a PR boost, she agrees to help create a reality dating show.

Garrick Walton keeps love at arm’s length but when asked to take part in the dating series as the shows Knight in Shining Armour he can’t say no. Flirting is his forte and the theme park his family runs could use some good press after the charity fraud fiasco.

Except it’s not the contestants that have caught his eyes, it’s the brutally honest producer, Juliet, he’s really drawn to.

The more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to deny their feelings.

Will they risk it all for their own happily-ever-after??

A Knight Before Christmas is a fluffy, cosy, happily-ever-after YA rom-com novel set at Fairytale Gardens a small-town theme park.

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Young Adult, Humor, Holiday, Family, Grief

Kindle Edition

Published November 6, 2025

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, A Knight Before Christmas, by Cara Stout, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Christmas and a reality show, this was a nice read. Ripley and Garrick are oddly named but good characters.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a companion to Enchanted to Meet You (which came out earlier this year) but can definitely be read as a standalone (though there are some spoilers for the conflict of the first book). This was centered around Christmas and also had the backdrop of a fake dating reality TV show. This book definitely leaned more into the reality tv rather than the Christmas end of things. I definitely would have liked it more had there been more Christmas. It was still a cute read and I liked the Disney World-esque setting.

___________________________________
Can it be??? Is there a YA Christmas book coming out this year????

And it sounds so cute!



Well, this just instantly became one of my most anticipated releases!!!!

[GOLDEN KIWI · Rating 5 out of 5]

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Thank you Cara you've done it again!

[Arin Kate (Trying my best, but really stressed) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this ARC.

AHHHHH!! THE QUEEN IS BACK. When I got this ARC, I quite literally squealed. I was so happy.

This is something I never EVER thought I'd say, but this was honestly better than Enchanted To Meet You (and yall know I love me some ETMY)

I would give it 6 stars if I could.

The characters were so real and raw. The plot twists just kept coming, and it all tied together to create the perfect fairy tale ending. 😏😉 (See what I did there??)

I loved this book so much!!

Thank you, Cara Stout for this masterpiece. 💖

[That_awkwardbook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very cute teenage romcom. If you want a Christmassy vibe, a reality tv show a la the bachelor, all set in a theme park with a castle, knights and royalty, then this is for you!
The characters a previously sweet. I really enjoyed the the flirty vibes, the longing, the jealousy and the friendships.

[BookishKB]

🎄❤️ A Knight Before Christmas ❤️🎄

📖 Bookish Thoughts

My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.

✨ What to Expect
• YA Romance
• Holiday Romance
• Behind the Scenes
• Fake Dating Show
• Fake Royalty
• Christmas Romance
_ _ _

📅 Pub Date: October 20, 2026
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Fanfan Delarose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!! I think it’s quite rare to find a story that doesn’t have heavy themes or overly dark character traits, and it was such a joy to stay on a lighthearted note from beginning to end. Even though it deals with deep topics, it’s always done in a refreshing and positive way, not the kind of book that brings you down, but the kind that leaves you with a warm heart when you close it! It’s a true rom-com in every sense, full of yearning, teasing, lingering looks, and silly moments away from prying eyes. Usually, I’m not a big fan of romances where the main characters are still in high school, but here their maturity really shines through, and the youthful butterflies of first love actually brought a wonderful freshness to the story. Plus, the setting — a fairytale-themed amusement park during Christmas time — was just perfect and super original. You can really picture the atmosphere! I also loved the reality show concept, where the celebrity falls for the girl behind the cameras. The behind-the-scenes details of TV production were so well done and added a lot of depth. I devoured this story in no time!💗

[florence · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really cute, I haven’t read a YA contemporary romance in a while, and this reminded me exactly why I enjoy them so much. This was also such a great Christmas read, I loved how festive it was.

I found the dynamic between Ripley and Garrick so cute, her being a slightly neurotic, organised person, and him being just a go with the flow kind of the guy, who relies on him charm to get him through. I especially enjoyed how he definitely fell first, despite never wanting to fall in love.

I am generally a hater of the third act break up, but I will say I think it really worked here. They are still so young and he was so traumatised by what happened to his mum, that seeing someone else he loved in a similar position was too much for him to deal with. I think his grand gesture was also really cute, though I don’t feel like Ms Ripley would have allowed him to derail her show unless he was really convincing!

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review the ARC of this book.

3.5 stars - rounded up to 4

A cute rom-com story about teens (high school students)
filming a reality dating show (for teens) at a family-run amusement park, while also dealing with family dynamics. Definitely a good read for when you need something light and not dramatic.

It felt like the details of the reality show dates went on a little too long. Also, there were so many names, so many characters. Even before all the dating show contestants were introduced, it seemed like there was too much going on with the various friends and siblings of both main characters. Those elements were what brought the story down a little for me, but it’s still cute nonetheless.

[Marcia - itsabookthing2021 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great romance story

I loved reading A Knight Before Christmas. I loved the dating app aspect of the story and I thought Garrick and Ripley were really good together, their traits were so life-like and I really liked how they were created. Along with the other characters they really helped shape this storyline.
I love romance novels that are easy to get swept away with and this one definitely delivered that. The writing flowed well and the descriptions really painted a picture. I loved the direction this novel went in and I loved the ending of the story. It gave me all the feels and left me with a satisfying ending.

[Femke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not gonna lie I thought this was gonna end up on my DNF list but I pulled through and I'm so glad I did!

If you want a cozy story with a Christmas vibe, character development and great cookie recipes please pick this book. Yes you read that correct. Cookie recipes. Want our boy Garrick makes some mean cookies and he is sharing the recipes with us all!

What sort of put me off at first is the fact that these two are teenagers so I personally did not swoon away at Garrick as I am a full blown adult these days but still you can't help yourself from rooting for Ripley and Garrick. I felt like a proud sister and I could not help but say 'JUST KISS' a few times. I loved this. So much fun. Hope to let you know how the cookies turn out soon! I hope great otherwise I'm coming for you Cara!

Edit: Cookies were freaking great. Updated review to 5 stars. Because of the lemon blueberry cookies.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an arc of this through NetGalley, and I am so excited I did. This book was essentially the Bachelor high school edition if it was set at a mini version of Disney World, and I say that in the best way! The differing family dynamics between the two main characters was fun to see, as well at their growth as families throughout the unique experience. The blackmailing done at one point was almost as frustrating as the ones doing it, but other than that, almost all characters were likable in their own way. The ending was perfect. Such a cute read!

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute young adult Christmas romance. I loved following Ripley and Garrick in this story as they both worked on a reality dating show. I loved this book’s amusement park setting and Christmas vibes. This book had so many cute moments and it had me invested in the characters from start to finish.

Read this if you like:

📖 Reality dating shows
📖 Opposites attract
📖 He falls first
📖 Amusement park settings

Thank you to @epicreads and @netgalley for the gifted arc.

[Grace Kinirons · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Very cute although a bit too long imo, I was getting a bit lost with all the episodes they were filming!
Loved the premise and will probably try and get hold of the first in the series at some point

[skai_booksandbracelets · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-stars rounded up to 4. This is a nice Christmas romance about two kids who believe that romance only ends in heartbreak, but working on a dating show causes them to question everything they thought they knew.

[Ellie Rawlings · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am glad I read this book. It was a nice little Christmas romance for the lead up to Christmas. Would recommend this books 🎅🎄

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

so cute and amazing characters and romance!!!

[Christel Nance · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Knight Before Christmas is the perfect book to read when you want the perfect amount of holidays and romance.

Juliet needs a male lead for a bacheloresque reality show. Garrick’s family owns an amusement park that’s financially struggling. Together they create the show with Garrick as the bachelor. Love blossoms between the two of them, though, when he’s supposed to find love in the female lineup on the show.

There was kind of a slow start for this, but it was enjoyable. It’s clean romance and slow burn. We actually get to see the characters fall for each other. It isn’t instant or only physical. I’ll be looking for more from this author.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

[books (samaira's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good! I think the ending could’ve been better but I loved the climax. Garrick has been my favourite character ever since he was introduced in Enchanted to Meet You, so I was pretty excited to read this. Def worth reading!

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3