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Fighting Feelings and a Christmas Truce
When Ruth goes to a gig and spends a night of passion with singer Sienna, she doesn’t expect it to go anywhere. As a grieving widow and busy hospital CEO, Ruth enjoys their moment but doesn’t want a relationship.
Ruth doesn’t expect to see Sienna again. But when protestors gather at her hospital to stop a merger she approved, she spots Sienna through the December snow, waving a placard.
On opposing sides of the debate, the women clash, with 28-year-old Sienna using her legal knowledge to make life harder for 45-year-old Ruth.
Sienna gets under Ruth's skin, but is it more than annoyance? Maybe Ruth’s being too Scrooge-like. Before long it's difficult to deny their growing chemistry, despite clashing over an emotive issue that affects them both personally.
Will Ruth and Sienna work out their differences in time for a festive truce? Will their age-gap stand in the way of their attraction? And can Ruth imagine once again sharing Christmas with someone else?
Don’t miss this dramatic, humorous and festive story of love between enemies from the award-winning author of Swiping Right (and other disasters) and Don’t Fall in Love (and how to break the rules).
210 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 20, 2025
16 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Sally Brooks
7 books15 followersI'm Sally Brooks, a British writer of contemporary sapphic romance. These books are perfect for those of you who love diverse characters, romantic comedy and page-turning fiction.
In my books you will find compelling, funny and heartwarming stories - think all the lols with all the feels.
I love complex queer female characters so that's what I write and I'll keep you guessing right to the end.
I live in Birmingham with my wife, our three children and two cats - Cagney and Lacey, who are surprisingly bad at solving crime.
In my books you will find compelling, funny and heartwarming stories - think all the lols with all the feels.
I love complex queer female characters so that's what I write and I'll keep you guessing right to the end.
I live in Birmingham with my wife, our three children and two cats - Cagney and Lacey, who are surprisingly bad at solving crime.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 21, 2025
Ruth Carlton is chilling at a local bar in Birmingham, England and is completely charmed by the beautiful singer, Sienna Clarke, on stage. Their chemistry sparks when they meet and they end up going back to Ruth’s house for a one night stand. But it turns out, Ruth and Sienna cross paths again, Ruth as the CEO of a small neighborhood hospital that is closing due to financial reasons and Sienna as a community activist fighting against the shut down.
I really liked this book. Very smooth read, an age gap that works because both women are strong and smart who not only care about each other but who also stay true to their own principles. All of the characters, main and secondary, stand out with personalities and appearances which kept me engaged in conversations and action. As far as Christmas vibe, there are plenty of holiday traditions and snow-filled days in the story. The banter is good, heat level is high, and there are a few twists. I believe this book is the fourth in a series but I enjoyed it as a standalone. I’ll probably go back to read some of the others. Overall, an excellent read. 4.5 stars rounded up.
I really liked this book. Very smooth read, an age gap that works because both women are strong and smart who not only care about each other but who also stay true to their own principles. All of the characters, main and secondary, stand out with personalities and appearances which kept me engaged in conversations and action. As far as Christmas vibe, there are plenty of holiday traditions and snow-filled days in the story. The banter is good, heat level is high, and there are a few twists. I believe this book is the fourth in a series but I enjoyed it as a standalone. I’ll probably go back to read some of the others. Overall, an excellent read. 4.5 stars rounded up.
December 18, 2025
Brilliantly funny and heart-warming!
Ruth and singer, Sienna spend a passionate night together after a Sienna’s gig, but recently widowed and struggling with work, Ruth doesn’t want a relationship. Ruth is then surprised to find Sienna is the leader of the protestors outside of the hospital where she works. Fate has other ideas that mean they keep bumping into one another, despite their differences and the slight tension now between them.
This was so funny, but also had a lot of heart and meaning built in between it. The tension between Ruth and Sienna instantly created sparks and when fate put them back into one another’s paths it had other plans for them too. Ruth showed what a kind and caring person she was when Sienna needed help, and Sienna forced Ruth to re-evaluate some things she thought weren’t possible. Together they had a wonderful connection, when they put aside the issues they had with one another’s choices about saving the hospital.
I love an age-gap romance, as they always add an extra depth, and with some drama thrown in usually end up proving that the gap can have such positive effects on changing mind sets and making huge differences to each person’s life. Sienna was firey and passionate, and she put that into everything she did. There were moments that I thought that would get her into serious trouble with Ruth, and it nearly did a time or too, but I had to admire her for it. She was only doing what she thought was right, the same way Ruth was. The closer they got to one another, the more they talked through, and it became clear that Sienna had misjudged Ruth in making assumptions about what she was doing with work. Sienna then had opportunities to prove to Ruth that she had done the same to her, and all was righting itself.
Such a great, fun, holiday read. It made me feel very festive and had the odd Christmas miracle and magical moment in there, just to make it extra special.
Ruth and singer, Sienna spend a passionate night together after a Sienna’s gig, but recently widowed and struggling with work, Ruth doesn’t want a relationship. Ruth is then surprised to find Sienna is the leader of the protestors outside of the hospital where she works. Fate has other ideas that mean they keep bumping into one another, despite their differences and the slight tension now between them.
This was so funny, but also had a lot of heart and meaning built in between it. The tension between Ruth and Sienna instantly created sparks and when fate put them back into one another’s paths it had other plans for them too. Ruth showed what a kind and caring person she was when Sienna needed help, and Sienna forced Ruth to re-evaluate some things she thought weren’t possible. Together they had a wonderful connection, when they put aside the issues they had with one another’s choices about saving the hospital.
I love an age-gap romance, as they always add an extra depth, and with some drama thrown in usually end up proving that the gap can have such positive effects on changing mind sets and making huge differences to each person’s life. Sienna was firey and passionate, and she put that into everything she did. There were moments that I thought that would get her into serious trouble with Ruth, and it nearly did a time or too, but I had to admire her for it. She was only doing what she thought was right, the same way Ruth was. The closer they got to one another, the more they talked through, and it became clear that Sienna had misjudged Ruth in making assumptions about what she was doing with work. Sienna then had opportunities to prove to Ruth that she had done the same to her, and all was righting itself.
Such a great, fun, holiday read. It made me feel very festive and had the odd Christmas miracle and magical moment in there, just to make it extra special.
December 16, 2025
I think this is my favourite in the series! I liked that the characters actually had a reason to be enemies, unlike other enemies to lovers books where the reasons can be a bit pointless. There were multiple elements to the story and the characters were all easy to differentiate between. I’ve really enjoyed reading this series and following the stories of the second chance romances 🙂
December 24, 2025
Ruth is CEO at a small community hospital trust in Birmingham, UK. Sienna is singing at a bar when they meet for the first time. They hit it off, and end up going home together. The next time they meet is in completely different circumstances. From then on, they seem to be vacillating between being at each other’s throats, or being insanely attracted to one another.
This is a very British story, as is every other book I have read by the same author. It is a warm, fun story, with lots of deep and well thought out characters.
This is a very British story, as is every other book I have read by the same author. It is a warm, fun story, with lots of deep and well thought out characters.
December 9, 2025
I am not usually a huge fan of intimacy at first sight, which can be an issue in one night to forever novels as I like to see the chemistry develop. Some novels however, do manage to show the chemistry from the start. This is one!
I love the meddling chum and never saw her meddling coming. Well played!……
The book moved from “one night”, to “lovers to enemies” to become one of my favourites!
It’s a quick read and you absolutely know it is set in UK, and actually Birmingham. Fresh and fun!
I love the meddling chum and never saw her meddling coming. Well played!……
The book moved from “one night”, to “lovers to enemies” to become one of my favourites!
It’s a quick read and you absolutely know it is set in UK, and actually Birmingham. Fresh and fun!
November 20, 2025
📚 ARC Review 📚 Thanks to the author for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This festive British sapphic romance follows protagonists navigating an unexpected rivalry and an age gap - but ultimately find love by Christmas ❤️🎄
Told from Ruth’s perspective, the story opens with her enjoying a lively pub gig, meeting Sienna, a charismatic singer — and sharing an unforgettable one-night stand 🔥
The shock comes the next day, when Ruth discovers that the woman she spent such a brilliant evening with is now on the opposite side of a protest. Their rivalry over the closure of a local hospital brings them back into each other’s orbit, and while they clash and debate, the chemistry steadily grows ⚡️
Much of the plot centres on hospitals and the NHS, which felt strangely fitting as I happened to read it while in a Belfast hospital — it definitely offered some welcome festive relief 🫶
I really liked both Sienna and Ruth. Sienna, who fights fiercely for her community, helps Ruth open up again. Ruth, a widow who never imagined sharing Christmas with someone new, is warm and relatable... though if she ever got between me and a bacon sandwich after a parkrun, we’d have words 👀
There’s some miscommunication, a bit of fear, and a fair amount of angst and drama, but the snowed-in scenes and the eventual festive truce were especially enjoyable!
If you’re after a light romance and an easy, cosy read, this is a short, British, festive story with a touch of romantic spice and a generous dose of seasonal charm 🎄🏳️🌈📚
This festive British sapphic romance follows protagonists navigating an unexpected rivalry and an age gap - but ultimately find love by Christmas ❤️🎄
Told from Ruth’s perspective, the story opens with her enjoying a lively pub gig, meeting Sienna, a charismatic singer — and sharing an unforgettable one-night stand 🔥
The shock comes the next day, when Ruth discovers that the woman she spent such a brilliant evening with is now on the opposite side of a protest. Their rivalry over the closure of a local hospital brings them back into each other’s orbit, and while they clash and debate, the chemistry steadily grows ⚡️
Much of the plot centres on hospitals and the NHS, which felt strangely fitting as I happened to read it while in a Belfast hospital — it definitely offered some welcome festive relief 🫶
I really liked both Sienna and Ruth. Sienna, who fights fiercely for her community, helps Ruth open up again. Ruth, a widow who never imagined sharing Christmas with someone new, is warm and relatable... though if she ever got between me and a bacon sandwich after a parkrun, we’d have words 👀
There’s some miscommunication, a bit of fear, and a fair amount of angst and drama, but the snowed-in scenes and the eventual festive truce were especially enjoyable!
If you’re after a light romance and an easy, cosy read, this is a short, British, festive story with a touch of romantic spice and a generous dose of seasonal charm 🎄🏳️🌈📚
November 13, 2025
“Fighting Feelings” by Sally Brooks is an interesting and insightful book. What starts out as a one-night stand turns into much much more for hospital administrator Ruth and singer/paralegal Sienna. Ruth’s hospital has major financial problems and Ruth is planning on closing it and merging with a large institution. The community is up in arms over the closing, and a protest group has formed and started picketing against the closure. Guess who shows up on the protest side of the ledger?
The chemistry between the MCs continues throughout. They get along; they don’t get along. They like each other; there is no trust. The back and forth, rollercoaster aspects of their relationship are quite interesting. Both women have to look inside themselves to figure out what they really want from each other. This age-gap story is not a fluffy holiday story. It has spice, angst, and deep-seated emotions. I found it contemporary and honest; I could see Ruth and Sienna as real people. Excellent book!
The chemistry between the MCs continues throughout. They get along; they don’t get along. They like each other; there is no trust. The back and forth, rollercoaster aspects of their relationship are quite interesting. Both women have to look inside themselves to figure out what they really want from each other. This age-gap story is not a fluffy holiday story. It has spice, angst, and deep-seated emotions. I found it contemporary and honest; I could see Ruth and Sienna as real people. Excellent book!
December 18, 2025
The last book in the series and it was my favourite. A fun romance, real enemies and feel feelings. Christmas, snow, saving the day…… loved it. Have read all of these with my lovely friend, and it’s been so fun!! Looking forward to Sally’s new book in summer 2026!! Have cheekily asked for an arc! Fingers crossed.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews