Deck the Hauls

Sapphire Springs #4

by Elizabeth Luly

A delightful sapphic small-town holiday romance perfect for the festive season!

Emily Rossi’s acting career came to a grinding halt after a night she’d rather forget. When the opportunity to film a HolLove holiday movie at Red Tractor Farm arises, she jumps at the chance. Sure, some say HolLove is where careers go to die, but Emily loves Christmas—and her career couldn’t get much worse, right? But a reporter won’t stop chasing her for answers, and the hot lesbian farmer who lives on the farm is a distraction she doesn’t need right now. Staying in the closet feels safer—at least until her career gets back on track.

Still reeling from a messy breakup, Dana Hoffman has sworn off dating and Christmas. She’s happiest alone, in her cabin nestled in the quiet pine forest at Red Tractor Farm, or at least that’s what she tells herself. Dana is unimpressed when she’s forced to show a gorgeous actress around and even less thrilled when a film crew disrupts her peace. But when Emily makes it her mission to make Dana love Christmas again, Dana’s heart begins to thaw.

As the holidays draw near, Emily and Dana must decide if they’re willing to risk their hearts and their careers for their once-in-a-lifetime connection.

Grab a warm drink and cozy up with this sapphic romance overflowing with holiday cheer

Content warning: Depictions of sexual harassment and mentions of past sexual harassment and assault (not detailed).
Note: Can be read as a standalone without reading the other Sapphire Springs books

Genres: LGBT, Queer

363 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 24, 2026

About the author

Romance author Elizabeth Luly writes cozy, low-angst sapphic rom coms. She is best known for her Sapphire Springs series, a small-town sapphic rom com series.

There are four books in the Sapphire Springs series:
1. Not Just Gal Pals: a grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity cozy sapphic small-town rom com between a gruff local doctor and a bubbly influencer
2. Novel Problems: a sapphic romance about a fantasy author who accidentally gets a job in the local cafe on mistaken pretences, and falls for the owner
3. The Floral Arrangement: an enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating, age gap, ice queen sapphic small-town rom com about a flower-hating business woman who buys the local flower farm and butts heads with the attractive local florist
4. Deck the Hauls: a sapphic holiday rom com between a Christmas-loving actress who stars in a Christmas movie being filmed at Red Tractor Farm, and the head farmer who hates Christmas (to be published in 2026)

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Reviews

[Doloreads]

ARC via NetGalley.

Deck the Halls is a Hallmark-esque rom-com following Dana, a Christmas tree farmer who dislikes Christmas, and Emily, an actress whose movie is filming on that very tree farm. The romance between the two characters is cutesy in the way you expect from a holiday romance, with plenty of silly antics, but there are also some underlying semi-dramatic storylines for each of the main characters.

Unfortunately, I found the constant doubting and second-guessing from both characters frustrating, and I was disappointed by the resolution for one character basically being a 5 min talk after years of holding a grudge. Overall, I see the appeal, and the town has a very cozy atmosphere, but I just did not connect with the characters.

[Jamie P-Kretzschmar]

Deck the Hauls is a delightful return to the interconnected world of Sapphire Springs. Set against the charming, snowy backdrop of Red Tractor Farm, Elizabeth Luly delivers a sapphic holiday romantic comedy that leans fully into festive, cinematic magic.

The highlight of this book is the refreshing dynamic between the two leads. Dana and Emily perfectly embody the grumpy/sunshine trope, but Luly brilliantly bypasses the exhausting "enemies-to-lovers" pipeline. Instead of manufactured bickering, they share an immediate, engaging connection built on mutual respect and healthy support. Both women bring significant, well-handled baggage to the table—Dana navigating a uniquely complicated but incredibly mature breakup, and Emily facing severe, high-stakes career fallout within the film industry.

While the story embraces classic, accelerated holiday romance tropes (complete with quintessential forced-proximity scenarios), the emotional core keeps it grounded. Rather than relying on toxic miscommunication to drive the third-act conflict, the tension stems from real external pressures and the deeply relatable struggle of choosing to live authentically. It is incredibly satisfying to read a romance where the leads are genuinely in each other's corners when facing outside threats.

Though it occasionally leans a bit heavily into the cheesy Hallmark-style formulas it playfully mirrors, it remains a highly comforting and thoroughly enjoyable read. If you are looking for a sweet, supportive romance with a guaranteed happily-ever-after and a perfectly snowy setting, this is a fantastic holiday escape.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Shez]

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC 💓

Deck the Hauls — obviously a very cute play on U-Haul — follows Dana and Emily… and gosh, do Dana and Emily have my whole heart 🥹💗

I absolutely loved how these characters were written. We have grumpy x sunshine, some delicious close proximity, and a storyline that had me kicking my feet and feeling ridiculously giddy!!!

I also really enjoyed the chapter lengths. Having a mix of shorter and longer chapters worked so well for the pacing and helped the storyline progress without ever feeling rushed.


While there were plenty of moments that had me smiling like an idiot, the more serious parts were handled so thoughtfully. They were written in a way that made them easy to read while still feeling respectful and considerate towards anyone who may have experienced similar situations.

If you love Christmas, sapphic characters, strangers-to-friends-with-benefits-to-lovers, grumpy x sunshine, close proximity and a slow burn, then this is absolutely one to add to your TBR!!!!

I was completely invested in Dana and Emily, and I adored watching their story unfold. This only took me 24 hours overall to read, I could not put it down. And when it was down, I was thinking about it. I was INVESTED.

Although Deck the Hauls is part of the Sapphire Springs universe, it can easily be read as a standalone.  But believe me, you want to read them all.

Content warning: Depictions of sexual harassment, with mentions of past sexual harassment and sexual assault (not detailed).


I give this book 5*

[Emma Taylor]

If you could wrap a sapphic Hallmark Christmas movie up in a book and stick it under my tree, it would be Deck the Hauls. 🎁

Christmas trees. Ice skating. Christmas markets. Gingerbread cookies. A festive movie being filmed on a farm. AND LESBIANS! Honestly, at this point you could slap a Santa hat on a sapphic romance and I’m seated. You’ll all see soon enough as we head towards Christmas… zero apologies! 😅

And because apparently Christmas wasn’t already doing enough heavy lifting for me, we also get grumpy x sunshine, one of the most entertaining tropes! Christmas-loving actress Emily bringing ALL the festive cheer while Dana would quite happily cancel the entire season. Naturally, I was rooting for Emily to Christmas the grump right out of her. 🎄💁🏻‍♀️

This was such a warm hug of a read. Sweet, cosy and delightfully cheesy in exactly the way a good Hallmark Christmas movie should be, with a lovely slow-burn romance and enough emotion underneath all the festive sparkle to give it a little more depth.

Did I spend half the book wanting to climb inside it purely because CHRISTMAS? Obviously. 🎄

Cute, cosy, sapphic festive goodness - and a lovely one to curl up with as we head into Christmas season. ❤️

[Andrea (looseleftlesbian)]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I loved this so much! I was immediately drawn into the characters and plot. Something about it drew me in right away. Then when the subplots came in, especially when we learn more of Dana’s and the extent of the heartbreak she suffered, wow. That being said, the only criticism and I don’t really think that is the right word, but I didn’t agree with Dana’s assesement of that betrayal. To me, it seemed to let the two culprits off the hook. I didn’t agree that what made her situation and that one was similar at all. Because how do you do that to your partner? and family member?

I have read Floral Arrangements in the Sapphire Springs Universe, so it was so lovely to see where Roz and Olivia were, especially seeing them in the epilogue.

Deck the Hauls deals with the serious topic of sexual harassment. I think the author depicted it in a realistic and respectful way. This was more than just a romance. If you love a slowburn, you’ll love this! 4.5 stars!

[Nora]

I was already a fan of Luly's work, as I read all her previous novels and fell in love with the characters.

I appreciated seeing the characters from the past books in this last installment of the sapphire spring series, and it felt like coming home.

This tight-knit queer friend group is everything i wish for in my future life and it is so refreshing to see.

This book also contains difficult topics, such as past abuse and workplace misconduct and i am very fond of how the author handled the story where the abused character is not a helpless victim, but stands up for herself.

The relationship is well thought out and i enjoyed reading how it developed and how they both showed up for eachother.

It is a cozy, feel-good holiday romance, so there is not a lot of angst, and this makes it perfect to be read on cold winter nights, while drinking a hot chocolate or tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

[Cally]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So far I've really enjoyed the Sapphire Springs series and it has cemented Elizabeth Luly as an auto-read author for cute small town romances.

Unfortunately while I did like this one, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the rest of the series. I found I couldn't connect as much with the characters, and the "will they, won't they, date for real" started to feel a little tedious rather than anticipatory after awhile.

However, there were a few things I still really liked, namely seeing the old cast and Red Tractor Farms featured again, and I adored Dana's character who was both grumpy and sweet. As well, I loved how Emily and Dana were both willing to show up for each other.

Overall, the book was still very cute and worth the read if you're a fan of the series. I was sad to learn it's the last one, but very excited to see what's next from Luly. 3.8/5 stars rounded up.

[Alanna Metz]

A beautiful Christmas sapphic romance full of holiday cheer. Emily is an actor who is starring in the new HolLove Christmas movie. Dana is the head tree farmer at the farm where the film is set. Sparks fly between the two and our tale ensues…

I absolutely adored Dana and Emily’s story. The chemistry was so good, and I’m an absolute sucker for a Grinch/Christmas lover trope. The book is the 4th in a series, but you don’t have to read the books in any particular order. After reading this book, however, I do want to read the other three to learn the back story of three other couples who appear in the fourth installment. It’s the perfect holiday read, spanning both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Cozy and cute, this is the best book for curling up on the couch with a hot chocolate.

I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Eric]

A solid Christmas book. I enjoyed how the two main characters related to each other and worked through their traumas and pasts to reach their ending.

The supporting cast was fleshed out well and while there were some choices made with the story I didn’t truly love it was still a good read.

Thanks to NetGallery and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.