A Roommate for Christmas: An Enemies-to-Lovers Holiday Romance

by Aryn Van Dyke

A laugh-out-loud holiday rom-com full of heart, heat, and one frosty roommate decision.

Paige Ellis is obsessed with Christmas. Matching pajamas? Yes. Peppermint everything? Absolutely. “Is that a Hallmark ornament?” Don’t even ask.

But this December isn’t so cheating ex still works at her awful job.Her holiday bonus got axed.Her best friend/roommate just moved out (rude!).
With an empty bedroom and emptier bank account, Paige takes a risk on a new roommate.

Enter Carter Kinney—he’s movie-star hot, willing to overpay, and basically the Grinch in human form. She’s full of gingerbread dreams. He’s allergic to joy. She wants to hang garland. He wants to set it on fire.

Then a record-breaking Chicago snowstorm traps them inside together. With nowhere to run and way too much mistletoe, their frosty standoff starts to melt into something much hotter…

Holiday romance. Enemies-to-lovers banter. Forced proximity. All the Christmas feels.
This Christmas, Paige might just find love where she least expected it—right across the hall.

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Holiday

171 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2025

About the author

Aryn Van Dyke is an author and singer-songwriter obsessed with capturing love, heartbreak, and everything in between in words. Her albums I DO NOT NOT LOVE YOU and PULLING AT THE THREADS can be found on most streaming services. When she isn't writing, Aryn teaches marketing strategy to authors around the globe. She has lived in Nashville, Sweden, Amsterdam, London, and currently calls Grand Rapids, MI home. You can follow her music and writing updates on Instagram at @arynvandyke.

Reviews

[Court Kuiper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would have read the entire book in one sitting if I could, didn’t want to put it down!! This book is the perfect level of cheesy/predictable rom com but not too cheesy & a few twists I didn’t expect!! A modern feel good Christmas read. I need it to be a netflix or hallmark movie!

[Savannah Prescott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute and cozy Christmas book for anyone who loves a good Christmas romance!! Amazing job Aryn, I hope there are more books to come 🥰🎄

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Received as a StoryGraph giveaway* Aryn, as I finished this book I was like oh my gosh I need to find everything else she's written and read it ASAP. I started reading your acknowledgement and was shocked to see that this was your first book! Girl, I'm going to need you to write some more! This was fantastic! There are not many writers that the writing style clicks for me, but you are one of them! Super cute and definitely put me in a Christmas mood!

Paige and Nadia are best friends and roommates, but life is changing too quickly, all at once. Her boyfriend (also coworker) of 3 years? Garbage. Her best friend? Moving out to be with her boyfriend. Her bonus? Non existent. She needs a new roommate and fast. What happens next is a Christmas decorations fest and a Grinch of a guy to grump his way through it. Absolutely loved it!!

[Mickey Carolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooked from the very start! This is not my usual genre, but I took a chance as it was recommended to me. I’m so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and read this one. I did not want to put it down, 5/5, if you have a chance grab your copy today!

[Amy Van Abbema · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I read this in one sitting, it was too good! Stayed up past my bedtime and everything. The perfect holiday read. I kid you not, my jaw was on the floor at the end! The best surprise. Can't wait for Aryn's next book!

[Rachel Tockstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aryn’s signature humor shines in this feel-good holiday read. I loved it!

[Elizabeth Van Dyke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! Witty, hilarious, well thought out. It is a feel good novel that got me in the mood for the holiday season! Wish I could read it again for the first time!

[Jenny Murphy · Rating 1 out of 5]

One, two, skip a few…. That’s how I made it through this book. The only reason I finished is because I bought it, as opposed to it being Kindle Unlimited. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. I love an enemies to lovers trope but this just didn’t hit. The MMC was a complete a$$ hat and there wasn’t a stitch of chemistry. This book was just a swing and a miss for me.

[Theodora Groucutt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Romcom

[Maggie Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Received from StoryGraph giveaway*
Not the best writing, and also it was never talked about why Carter was so standoffish in the beginning, even though it was such a huge plot point. Very rom com Hallmark vibes, and was a very quick read.

[Britt Bruinsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute holiday romcom - and even better, written by a GRCHS alum! Reading Aryns first book was such a fun experience but also held my attention the entire time and was really well done! Read it in one sitting watching the snow fall at my house and was the perfect Sunday afternoon activity.

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun and cozy romance read! It definitely got me excited for the holidays. I was so sad when I finished the book because I wasn’t ready for it to end!

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars.

The vibes:
- Christmas setting
- Forced proximity
- Roommates
- Instalove
- Rebound
- Closed door / fade to black

My thoughts:
The book lost me a bit with the heavy emphasis on the physical connection. There were so many comments about how hot Carter is. I wanted more depth there. For the first half of the book, the only personality trait we see from Carter is absolute jerk behavior. He was a nice guy by the end but I was shocked at how rude he was. 🙈

The main characters barely interacted in a positive way for half of the book and then they were hot and heavy almost immediately. The pacing of their dynamic felt a bit off for me. I didn’t love the secrets and the rebound connection. Both characters had a lot of red flags that I had a hard time overlooking.

I struggled rating this one because I think the writing and storytelling was good. I just really didn’t enjoy the plot and journey towards love. I think if you enjoy a rebound feeling based on physical attraction, you’ll enjoy this one.

Note- closed door/ fade to black but talks about needing a “hate bang” or “a good roll around in the bedroom”; “dry spells”; “cobwebs in vagina” etc.

[Rachel Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Roommate for Christmas by Aryn Van Dyke - 4.5 ⭐

This was a super sweet Christmas novella! I really loved the characters and the story. Some of my favourite tropes are in this book including roommates, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine and grand gestures! I found the characters to be well written and interesting. It was a perfect rom com!

The only thing I’ve taken half a star off was for the amount the FMC’s ex was mentioned and then the other woman drama with the MMC near the end and the FMC’s reaction to it! But I did love how the MMC dealt with it. I loved the side characters, especially the best friend.

I love to support indie authors and I’ll be looking forward to more books by Aryn.

[Abbey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! This was cute! I won a digital copy in a giveaway in StoryGraph, and it was a fun, quick holiday read. The third act conflict is a bit dumb, but the make up was worth it. I finished it in under 3 hours on a plane ride - perfect read for holiday travel!

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m just going to go ahead and say all these Christmas romances are going to predictable because they’re romances. This one was fun and well written and had both main characters learning to take down their walls and learning to trust again.

[Bethany Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great Christmas rom-com! It was a quick read that I finished in one sitting. This was the first book I supported on Kickstarter, and it surpassed all my expectations. Can’t wait to read what she writes next!

[Ben Macy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every page of this book. The storyline was cute and fun, the cheesiness level was perfect for the genre, and Van Dyke’s writing kept me hooked. I am feeling the Christmas spirit!

[Tessa VanderStel · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a cheesy Christmas romantic comedy, this book is perfect for you!!! I ate it up in two days and couldn’t put it down ☺️

[Diane Grondin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little debut Christmas book! Way to start my season of holiday readings!,,

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book that I read in one night. Good first effort by the author. It actually could have been a bit longer as Carter's mood change was a little quick.

[Meagan Brummel · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a perfect book to kickoff the Christmas season! It was cozy & familiar like your favorite Hallmark movie with some new twists! Congrats Aryn on your first book!

[Tabitha Maneti · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mean.