Joy to the Girls: A She Gets the Girl Novella

She Gets the Girl #1.5

by Rachael Lippincott, Alyson Derrick, Natalie Naudus (Narrator)

For Alex and Molly, the last three years have felt like Christmas every day. So what better way to celebrate their final winter break of college than a romantic holiday getaway in a town right out of a Christmas-card?

Aside from sampling all the holiday cheer Barnwich has to offer, Alex and Molly have an important mission this weekend: to help their friend, Cora, get her crush to fall for her. But in between ice skating, snowball fights, and matchmaking schemes, it becomes obvious that both of them have another mission this weekend: to not reveal the huge secrets they’re each keeping from the other. Secrets about their post-college plans that just might threaten to tear them apart.

Will these two be able to help Cora get the girl and keep theirs—or will this be the last Christmas of Alex and Molly’s love story?

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, LGBT, Queer, Christmas, Young Adult, Holiday

Audiobook

First published September 30, 2025

About the author

Rachael Lippincott is the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Five Feet Apart. She holds a BA in English writing from the University of Pittsburgh. Originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, she currently resides in Pittsburgh with her wife and their dog, Hank.

Reviews

[Rachael Lippincott]

We are SO back!

[Izabella 🪐]

A sapphic Christmas special for one of my fav couples?

Yes please 🤭🤭

[kay ✨]

I am SEATED. I am READY. 2025 CAN'T COME FAST ENOUGH.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3 stars (maybe 2.75 if I’m being honest)

I usually don’t mind miscommunication but NO communication?? 🙂‍↔️ What is supposed to feel like a joyful cozy story is tainted with lies (and I’m sorry Molly but your lie is SOOOO much worse than what Alex is hiding) so none of the romantic beats really land. The original story was so special but I think it should have probably just been left at that, unfortunately. I have such love for Alyson and Rachael so I’m rating this a 3 which is probably an inflated rating tbh 😭

[lexie · Rating 2 out of 5]

are we kidding they can’t ever be happy?? miscommunication you will be the death of me and the ruin of literature

thank you to simonteen for the arc

[Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a little strange how they've been in a relationship for three years and don't communicate with each other. I hate the miscommunication trope when it's a new couple, but when it's an established couple I loathe it. 


This would have been so much better if the main focus of the plot was of Molly and Alex scheming to get their friends together for the holidays but it mostly focused on their secrets from each other. 


I did like the Christmasy atmosphere, and their time together being cutesy.

[suonnahbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joy to the girls by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick
ARC from Simon and Schuster Canada
release date: Sept 30th 2025
-eee I loved She gets the girls , I missed them so much I fell right in sync with them.
-The authors note 🥹
-I love the matchmaking haha adorable
-I will say I HATE miscommunication/ waiting so long to tell someone something but I get it
-the christmasy town sounds adorable, it feels real , I want to go to Mistletoe Motel lol loveee
-so many cute moments I need the holiday season nowww
-this a cute read 🥰
rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

[BJ Lillis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful little holiday novella snack. Nothing that’s going to stick with me in any meaningful way, I don’t think, but certainly an enjoyable way to spend a couple of wintry rides on the commuter rail.

[debs ༉‧₊˚. · Rating 3 out of 5]

⋆˚꩜｡𐔌՞. 3 stars .՞𐦯⋆. 𐙚 ˚
why does the miscommunication trope always ruin perfect relationships? 😭

[Birdie Schae · Rating 5 out of 5]

live laugh love lesbians

[Marie]

NO FUCKING WAY 🤯
A She Gets The Girl novella??!!😭🤸‍♀️🥰♥️

[Aunt Missa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gotta say that keeping huge life changing secrets to avoid conflict isn’t my favorite trope. I did enjoy catching up with Molly and Alex, but the chemistry felt a bit off to me. Molly knows that Alex has abandonment issues and leaving for 2 years without a word about it just seemed a bit selfish to me. There was tons of winter wonderland, but a little more heart would have been better for me. On to my next read.

[Manon (bookswithonno) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dit was een schattige extra en ik vond de schrijfstijl weer fijn, maar dit hele boek was er letterlijk niet geweest als de personages gewoon met elkaar gecommuniceerd hadden.

[aitana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5⭐️
divertido, mono, navideño

pero ya esta no es una gran historia, al final es un 1.5 no un algo nuevo asiq

[MJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly love how chaotic Alex always is, I relate so much 🤣 I really enjoyed this Christmas novella and it was a nice extension to She Gets the Girl.

Written in first person with 2x POV’s. Narrated by Natalie Naudus & Valentina Ortiz. Established couple, Sapphic YA/New Adult, Christmas. Closed door spice.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over winter break Molly and Alex take a trip with their friends to the holiday obsessed town of Barnwich. Their main goal: play matchmaker for their friend Cora and her crush May. However, in between their hallmark movie activities they struggle to hide the post-grad secrets they’re keeping from each other, scared of how their future will look.

This was the most delicious, toasty, chocolate gooeyness novella. I loved seeing all the sickeningly cute Molly and Alex moments. The way they acted like an old married couple when witnessing Cora and May’s awkward crush. I feel like a proud mom seeing how much they’ve grown and developed over the years. Molly’s confidence and Alex’s open trust :’) they’re all grown up. And even though they encounter a conflict, the way they talk it through and strengthen their bond is so heart melting.

We even got the babiest Arden and Caroline cameo, my lovies <3

Thank you Simon Teen for the advanced ARC!

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joy to the Girls is a sequel to the book She Gets the Girl. This time, instead of being in their freshman year at Pitt, we pick up Alex and Molly in their senior year as both are making plans for life after college. This book takes place in the Christmas town of Barnwhich, which is the setting for last year’s book Make My Wish Come True and features cameos from some of the characters in that book.

They are accompanied on their Christmas road trip by their friend Cora and Alex’s friend May, who was raised in Barnwhich and whose family owns the Christmas Tree farm there. Initially the plan is to get Cora and May together since secretly they both have crushes on each other.

However it turns out that Molly has a significant revelation she hasn’t shared with Alex, while Alex has her own secret plans that she hasn’t told Molly about. The central theme of the story revolves around the transformative power of their love for each other. It demonstrates how their love serves as the strength they both require and fosters the trust they both need. This is a sweet, heartwarming tale that unfolds in a charming town that celebrates Christmas to the fullest.


My Review for Make My Wish Come True is here.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
volver a leer a Alex y a Molly era todo lo que quería por navidad!!! mis dos chicas, lo que las quiero🫶🏻 (es verdad que se han comunicado 0 y nada y ese cliché no me gusta pero buenoJAJSJAJ) les tengo mucho cariño y en este librito cortito de temática navideña vemos cómo ha avanzado su relación después de 3 años juntas. también conocemos a otra pareja de lesbianas majisimas porque las cuatro se van juntas de viajecito navideño a intentar que estas dos se lien lmao (me recordó a nuestros viaje de lesbianas a Luxemburgo 😭😭 vera jazmín osqm si leéis esto tenéis que saber qué seréis damas de honor en nuestra boda💋).
esta historia es la secuela de chica conoce chica y siempre será super especial para mí porque ese primer libro me lo regaló albi y a los dos nos recordó mucho a nosotras💗

me encanta que a pesar de todo siempre se elijan la una a la otra pffff mi tipo de cine (y que esté basado en su propia vida porque las autoras están casadas y se inspiran en ellas mismas realmente PELOSSSS)

os querré siempre smuaaacks🫶🏻

[Aina Alcubierre · Rating 3 out of 5]

El llibre ja era curt, però encara ho podria haver estat més si les protes decidicin tenir ✨comunicació✨

[liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

listened to the audiobook while cooking for a friendsmas diner i’m hosting tomorrow, it was perfect! cute and cozy and xmasy and the ending made me cry because my friends are my family too and i love them so much 🫶

[Anniek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is some very cute fan service. The setting was super cosy, and it made for a very quick, comforting read. But while I normally don't mind the miscommunication trope too much, I do feel like three years into a relationship, you should be able to TALK to each other. About anything. Including hard things. So the lack of communication between them really grated on me.

[Sapphic Bookshelf]

Ugh it was so fun to hang out with Molly and Alex again. I adored She Gets the Girl and I was so happy to be able to catch up with these characters and see where they are now. I also found the setting to be so cute and it has me ready for the holiday season. Grab some hot chocolate and be ready to settle in with this one when it releases.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for a copy of this eARC.

[Emily St. James]

JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER FOR GOD'S SAKE.

[ash (smokedshelves) · Rating 2 out of 5]

thank you to simonteen for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

this is not the review i was hoping to be making after adoring she gets the girl. but unfortunately, this novella just fell SO flat for me. i know it’s not always the easiest to write a sequel to a romance book, because what do you write about. you need conflict somehow. but unless you want to really piss off your readers, you’re not going to give them a third act break up, like you would in their original story. so, it limits you a bit!

i am really not a fan of a miscommunication trope, and especially not when it causes relationship strain. molly and alex just had genuinely no communication abilities. and after seeing them grow past their issues in she gets the girl, it feels like we went back to square one with their relationship. so i spent most of my time being frustrated at them rather than enjoying them experience the joyful christmas time.

the only saving grace is how after their argument, they took their times to realize their wrongdoings with not talking earlier and with getting mad for their equal issues. they realized it was internal issues and were able to mend the issue quite quickly. but basically… the issue could’ve totally been avoided and it irritated me endlessly.

i just wanted a fluffly novella... :/

[Jente · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute maar LEER COMMUNICEREN

[mariaaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

LONG LIVE THE LESBIANS!!!!

thank you for continuing molly and alex’s story BROUGHT ME SO MUCH HAPPINESS TO SEE THEM LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER!

[Viamaria · Rating 3 out of 5]

so very cute!

[k8lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

christmas time AND the gays?? so happy to have gotten extra content for Molly and Alex it makes me want to reread the first book ahhhh

[kaitlyns_library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book!!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

Leuke novella om mee in de kerstsfeer te komen, maar verder vond ik het eigenlijk weinig toevoegen en ook niet zo’n spannend/kwalitatief goed verhaal. Alleen het originele boek was voor mij genoeg geweest.