What do you think?
Fairytale in Progress #2
A Knight Before Christmas
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.
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.
Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 6, 2026
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.
February 9, 2025
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.
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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!!!!
___________________________________
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!!!!
November 26, 2025
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Thank you Cara you've done it again!
June 29, 2026
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. 💖
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. 💖
December 31, 2025
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.
The characters a previously sweet. I really enjoyed the the flirty vibes, the longing, the jealousy and the friendships.
Read
July 5, 2026🎄❤️ 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.
📖 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.
October 1, 2026
A Knight Before Christmas (Fairytale in Progress, book 2) by Cara Stout
⭐⭐⭐
Interconnected Standalone * Contemporary Romance * Christmas * Rom Com * Family * Grief * Reality TV Show * Small Town * Royalty (Fake) * Anxiety
📖368 pages 🎧9h21
🎙️Narrated by Bailey Carr & Brandon Francis (Dual Audio)
This is an interconnected standalone following a separate brother. As I haven't read the first one, there are some threads mentioned throughout the story, such as a big scandal that happened the previous year involving that MC, our current MC's twin brother, and his girlfriend. They mention multiple times that they are an example of true love. (This fact is important to my review. I'll get to that in a bit.)
Now, this story doesn't mention at all what the scandal was the year prior, which I found slightly annoying as it was mentioned multiple times and seemed like an important fact to the story. It doesn't need to go into detail, but since it has already happened, I feel like it should at least be mentioned. That said, it's our own fault when we don't follow a series in order and end up reading spoilers.
This current story follows the twin MMC as he stars on a reality show attempting to advertise a dating app, with the "dates" all happening at their family's fairytale-themed theme park, which was definitely a super cute location.
While I did quite enjoy this story and found the plot interesting, I felt it was odd that the characters were all only 17 years old... Now, there aren't any smut or spice scenes, just a kiss or two, but the premise and this whole idea of finding your "true love" felt off to me with their age. Especially with the repeated mentions of his twin finding his true love the previous year... He was 16. There's a 95% chance that relationship fails.
I personally feel like the story would have fared much better with slightly older characters, maybe in their 20s. Honestly, I feel like the age was picked specifically to avoid adding spice. But spice isn't necessary in every story, and I think this could have worked just fine without it AND them being older. Maybe I missed the Teen label on this book, though, and this simply just wasn't meant for me. But would be perfect for a younger teen.
⭐⭐⭐
Interconnected Standalone * Contemporary Romance * Christmas * Rom Com * Family * Grief * Reality TV Show * Small Town * Royalty (Fake) * Anxiety
📖368 pages 🎧9h21
🎙️Narrated by Bailey Carr & Brandon Francis (Dual Audio)
This is an interconnected standalone following a separate brother. As I haven't read the first one, there are some threads mentioned throughout the story, such as a big scandal that happened the previous year involving that MC, our current MC's twin brother, and his girlfriend. They mention multiple times that they are an example of true love. (This fact is important to my review. I'll get to that in a bit.)
Now, this story doesn't mention at all what the scandal was the year prior, which I found slightly annoying as it was mentioned multiple times and seemed like an important fact to the story. It doesn't need to go into detail, but since it has already happened, I feel like it should at least be mentioned. That said, it's our own fault when we don't follow a series in order and end up reading spoilers.
This current story follows the twin MMC as he stars on a reality show attempting to advertise a dating app, with the "dates" all happening at their family's fairytale-themed theme park, which was definitely a super cute location.
While I did quite enjoy this story and found the plot interesting, I felt it was odd that the characters were all only 17 years old... Now, there aren't any smut or spice scenes, just a kiss or two, but the premise and this whole idea of finding your "true love" felt off to me with their age. Especially with the repeated mentions of his twin finding his true love the previous year... He was 16. There's a 95% chance that relationship fails.
I personally feel like the story would have fared much better with slightly older characters, maybe in their 20s. Honestly, I feel like the age was picked specifically to avoid adding spice. But spice isn't necessary in every story, and I think this could have worked just fine without it AND them being older. Maybe I missed the Teen label on this book, though, and this simply just wasn't meant for me. But would be perfect for a younger teen.
February 26, 2026
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!💗
September 27, 2026
Thank you to HarperAudio Children’s, NetGalley, and Cara Stout for this ALC!
I really enjoyed this cute young adult holiday romance. The dating show plot was unique for young adults of this age. These kids were still in high school, but looking for love. Even though some were just looking for fame on the show.
I really loved the relationship between Ripley and Garrick. The friendship these two built between each other and slowly falling in love was truly adorable. I also thought the dating show being filmed at the theme park was fun especially for this age group!!
Bailey Carr and Brandon Francis did a wonderful job at narrating these voices. The tone of voice fit the younger characters very well. The pacing of the story and narration was good throughout the book! Once I started the story, I could not pause it and without the audio, I don’t know if I would have picked it up in the first place being YA!
If you enjoy clean and cute young adult romance, small town theme park setting during the holidays, and friends to lovers while being behind the scenes on a dating show then you need to pick this one up!!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed this cute young adult holiday romance. The dating show plot was unique for young adults of this age. These kids were still in high school, but looking for love. Even though some were just looking for fame on the show.
I really loved the relationship between Ripley and Garrick. The friendship these two built between each other and slowly falling in love was truly adorable. I also thought the dating show being filmed at the theme park was fun especially for this age group!!
Bailey Carr and Brandon Francis did a wonderful job at narrating these voices. The tone of voice fit the younger characters very well. The pacing of the story and narration was good throughout the book! Once I started the story, I could not pause it and without the audio, I don’t know if I would have picked it up in the first place being YA!
If you enjoy clean and cute young adult romance, small town theme park setting during the holidays, and friends to lovers while being behind the scenes on a dating show then you need to pick this one up!!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A Knight Before Christmas centers on 17-year-old, Garrick and Ripley. Garrick is the leading man on a teenage Bachelor-type reality show set on Garrick’s family’s amusement park during the Christmas season. Ripley works behind the scenes on the production side helping her mother who has orchestrated the show as the way to promote her company’s dating app centered on a teenage clientele. While the story takes place around the Christmas season, the reality show and it’s production are the centerpiece of the story.
This is a (relatively) low drama take on a reality show and while there is some conflict between the contestants, overall the book focuses on the developing romance between Garrick and Ripley. I (personally) would have liked the book to lean a little more into the tension of the reality show, or the tension in Garrick and Ripley’s families, but it was a sweet holiday read for a teenage audience.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books for sending this eARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
This is a (relatively) low drama take on a reality show and while there is some conflict between the contestants, overall the book focuses on the developing romance between Garrick and Ripley. I (personally) would have liked the book to lean a little more into the tension of the reality show, or the tension in Garrick and Ripley’s families, but it was a sweet holiday read for a teenage audience.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books for sending this eARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
December 24, 2025
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!
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!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2026
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.
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.
December 31, 2025
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.
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.
December 3, 2025
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.
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.
June 9, 2026
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!
August 17, 2026
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
It has been a while since I read a young adult book. This was a nice break from more adult books. I was a big fan of the FMC- she seems smart, funny and driven. Less so a fan of the MMC- it takes a while for him to grow past the ego- centric boy.
All in all, I think this was a sweet read and a pleasant Christmas diversion.
May 25, 2026
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.
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.
December 26, 2025
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
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
March 13, 2026
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.
December 26, 2025
so cute and amazing characters and romance!!!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Won the book through good reads and started it right away. It was a good read.
June 9, 2026
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.
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.
November 23, 2025
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!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews