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Beautifully Messy: A slow burn holiday romance full of angst, heartbreak, and laughter
She didn't fall in love with her husband. She fell in love with his family.
Sydney Wallis has built her life around stability. Married to a man she doesn’t love but tethered to the warmth of his close-knit family, she returns each Christmas to their cabin in Vermont. It’s the only place that’s ever felt like home.
For ten years, she convinces herself she’s fine. Then James arrives, her sister-in-law’s boyfriend. He’s charming, attentive, and quietly perceptive in all the ways Mason, her husband, never was. He sees her. Really sees her.
As stolen glances turn into deep conversations and Sydney begins to hope, she discovers she’s pregnant. Her daughter, Anna, becomes her reason to stay. But as Mason grows colder and more controlling, Sydney begins to What does it mean to love someone? To choose yourself? To be a mother who models not self-sacrifice, but self-worth?
Spanning five Christmases, Beautifully Messy is a slow-burn, emotionally charged love story about what happens when a woman finally chooses to stop performing and start living.
Sydney Wallis has built her life around stability. Married to a man she doesn’t love but tethered to the warmth of his close-knit family, she returns each Christmas to their cabin in Vermont. It’s the only place that’s ever felt like home.
For ten years, she convinces herself she’s fine. Then James arrives, her sister-in-law’s boyfriend. He’s charming, attentive, and quietly perceptive in all the ways Mason, her husband, never was. He sees her. Really sees her.
As stolen glances turn into deep conversations and Sydney begins to hope, she discovers she’s pregnant. Her daughter, Anna, becomes her reason to stay. But as Mason grows colder and more controlling, Sydney begins to What does it mean to love someone? To choose yourself? To be a mother who models not self-sacrifice, but self-worth?
Spanning five Christmases, Beautifully Messy is a slow-burn, emotionally charged love story about what happens when a woman finally chooses to stop performing and start living.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 7, 2025
17 people are currently reading
1624 people want to read
About the author
Noelle Everly
1 book8 followersNoelle Everly is an American author writing stories about strong heroines navigating life's complexities and the compelling partners who challenge them. Beautifully Messy is her debut novel, the first in the Wallis Sisters series—exploring the messy reality of choosing yourself even while falling in love.
A voracious reader since childhood—she once set a goal to read three hundred books during fifth grade—Noelle brings her lifelong love of storytelling to contemporary women's fiction. She lives outside Rochester, New York with her husband, two children, and their pets. Noelle can often be found with a hot cup of coffee and a good book, or running along beautiful trails.
A voracious reader since childhood—she once set a goal to read three hundred books during fifth grade—Noelle brings her lifelong love of storytelling to contemporary women's fiction. She lives outside Rochester, New York with her husband, two children, and their pets. Noelle can often be found with a hot cup of coffee and a good book, or running along beautiful trails.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 21, 2025
Sooo good.
January 1, 2026
A sweet, emotional, real slow burn story. The perfect cozy book that doesn’t skip over the messy parts of romantic, family, and friend relationships. A modern romance isn’t my usually genre, but this was such an easy read that I couldn’t put it down. I love how this story took place over years allowing the reader to grow with and understand all of the characters in the book down to the children.
November 16, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.75 stars (rounded up to 5 for GR) for BEAUTIFULLY MESSY by Noelle Everly
Noelle reached out to me a few weeks ago with her ✨debut✨ novel. She said if I loved Taylor Swift, I would love this book. She described it as THE IDEA OF YOU meets THE FAMILY STONE. (Say less! Sign. Me. Up.)
BEAUTIFULLY MESSY reads like Taylor Swift’s Evermore album — soft, haunting, emotional, and filled with that quiet ache that lingers long after the last page.
This story follows Sydney across five pivotal Christmases as she navigates an unhappy marriage, childhood trauma, and an unexpected connection with her sister-in-law’s boyfriend. This sloooowww burn, forbidden romance with a found family aspect is exactly what I was hoping for & it was done sooo well.
Noelle captures heartbreak, longing, and healing with a lyrical, atmospheric touch that makes the entire story feel like a winter soundtrack you want to live in.
Speaking of soundtrack — she uses music in scenes to sort of set the mood and I love when writers do that. I spent time listening to the songs after I would read those chapters and felt like it was in the car or the sunroom with those characters.
I could easily see how Sydney fell for Mason — not just because of his charming smile, but because his family felt like the family she never had, but always dreamed of. But it wasn’t perfect and everyone had their own flaws — and I feel like that made the family dynamic feel incredibly real.
And JULES!!!!! Everyone needs a best friend like Jules: loyal, grounding, and always showing up when it matters most. (An avid reader who is also fan of HAPPY PLACE by Emily Henry, which made me love her character more!)
But James… oh my goshhh. He was impossible not to like instantly. Even with that quiet, mysterious edge to him, he was everything. I could feel the longing between him and Sydney, and that slowwwww burn that stretched across five years? Give me a breaaaakkk. I felt every emotion in my soul — every glance, every almost, every moment heavy with unspoken feeling.
However — I also genuinely felt bad for Ivy. Yes, she was intolerable at times, but she absolutely deserved better. Her presence added such a bittersweet layer to the story and made the emotional stakes hit even harder.
There were so many parts of this book I wanted to underline and highlight, but a few friends want to borrow my copy and I didn’t want to influence their opinions — so I restrained myself. But this will definitely be a book I reread and annotate. So many good quotes. So many feelings. It’s the kind of story that begs to be marked up.
And the fact that this is a debut novel? It makes me so excited for what’s to come — especially anything involving the Wallis family. I’m already invested.
The only reason I’m knocking off 1/4 of a star is Sydney. While I did love her character and my heart goes out to her — she made me so mad at times; swallowing everything and not standing up for herself earlier on. So much pain could have been avoided for everyone if she had just spoken up and told James how she felt. I just wish she would have been honest with herself sooner. But I think that’s also part of her story and the journey she was on to get to where she ended up. Just another layer of who she is.
If you love emotional romances with beautifully flawed characters, wintery evermore vibes, and a soul-deep slow burn, morally complex choices, this book is absolutely worth the read.
Thank you so much, Noelle, for reaching out and asking me to read your debut novel. I feel so honored to have been given the chance to be introduced to these characters. This story and these people will stick with me. I know I’ll find myself wondering what they are up to and checking back in with them again and again. BEAUTIFULLY MESSY is absolutely going into my re-read stack.
Noelle reached out to me a few weeks ago with her ✨debut✨ novel. She said if I loved Taylor Swift, I would love this book. She described it as THE IDEA OF YOU meets THE FAMILY STONE. (Say less! Sign. Me. Up.)
BEAUTIFULLY MESSY reads like Taylor Swift’s Evermore album — soft, haunting, emotional, and filled with that quiet ache that lingers long after the last page.
This story follows Sydney across five pivotal Christmases as she navigates an unhappy marriage, childhood trauma, and an unexpected connection with her sister-in-law’s boyfriend. This sloooowww burn, forbidden romance with a found family aspect is exactly what I was hoping for & it was done sooo well.
Noelle captures heartbreak, longing, and healing with a lyrical, atmospheric touch that makes the entire story feel like a winter soundtrack you want to live in.
Speaking of soundtrack — she uses music in scenes to sort of set the mood and I love when writers do that. I spent time listening to the songs after I would read those chapters and felt like it was in the car or the sunroom with those characters.
I could easily see how Sydney fell for Mason — not just because of his charming smile, but because his family felt like the family she never had, but always dreamed of. But it wasn’t perfect and everyone had their own flaws — and I feel like that made the family dynamic feel incredibly real.
And JULES!!!!! Everyone needs a best friend like Jules: loyal, grounding, and always showing up when it matters most. (An avid reader who is also fan of HAPPY PLACE by Emily Henry, which made me love her character more!)
But James… oh my goshhh. He was impossible not to like instantly. Even with that quiet, mysterious edge to him, he was everything. I could feel the longing between him and Sydney, and that slowwwww burn that stretched across five years? Give me a breaaaakkk. I felt every emotion in my soul — every glance, every almost, every moment heavy with unspoken feeling.
However — I also genuinely felt bad for Ivy. Yes, she was intolerable at times, but she absolutely deserved better. Her presence added such a bittersweet layer to the story and made the emotional stakes hit even harder.
There were so many parts of this book I wanted to underline and highlight, but a few friends want to borrow my copy and I didn’t want to influence their opinions — so I restrained myself. But this will definitely be a book I reread and annotate. So many good quotes. So many feelings. It’s the kind of story that begs to be marked up.
And the fact that this is a debut novel? It makes me so excited for what’s to come — especially anything involving the Wallis family. I’m already invested.
The only reason I’m knocking off 1/4 of a star is Sydney. While I did love her character and my heart goes out to her — she made me so mad at times; swallowing everything and not standing up for herself earlier on. So much pain could have been avoided for everyone if she had just spoken up and told James how she felt. I just wish she would have been honest with herself sooner. But I think that’s also part of her story and the journey she was on to get to where she ended up. Just another layer of who she is.
If you love emotional romances with beautifully flawed characters, wintery evermore vibes, and a soul-deep slow burn, morally complex choices, this book is absolutely worth the read.
Thank you so much, Noelle, for reaching out and asking me to read your debut novel. I feel so honored to have been given the chance to be introduced to these characters. This story and these people will stick with me. I know I’ll find myself wondering what they are up to and checking back in with them again and again. BEAUTIFULLY MESSY is absolutely going into my re-read stack.
November 5, 2025
“Sometimes the most beautiful things are born from the messes we never planned.”
Noelle Everly’s Beautifully Messy completely stole my heart. It’s raw, emotional, and deeply human. a story about love, loss, and rediscovering yourself when the life you’ve built no longer fits.
We follow Sydney, a woman who seems to have everything, marriage, stability, a picture-perfect family. But beneath the surface, she’s lonely, unfulfilled, and unsure of who she is anymore. When she crosses paths with James, a man who sees her in a way no one else does, her carefully constructed world begins to unravel.
This isn’t your typical feel-good romance. It’s real, messy, and painfully honest. Everly captures the emotional tug-of-war between comfort and courage, love and duty, staying and leaving.
The romance itself is slow-burn perfection. It’s not about instant chemistry but about connection, understanding, and timing. James doesn’t “fix” Sydney. He simply gives her the space to see herself clearly again. That dynamic made the story even more powerful.
It’s for readers who crave emotional realism, second chances, and a reminder that imperfection can be breathtaking.
💔 Beautifully flawed characters
🔥 Slow burn with emotional depth
🌿 Themes of growth, motherhood, identity, and choosing yourself
A stunning debut that proves life doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful—it just has to be real.
Noelle Everly’s Beautifully Messy completely stole my heart. It’s raw, emotional, and deeply human. a story about love, loss, and rediscovering yourself when the life you’ve built no longer fits.
We follow Sydney, a woman who seems to have everything, marriage, stability, a picture-perfect family. But beneath the surface, she’s lonely, unfulfilled, and unsure of who she is anymore. When she crosses paths with James, a man who sees her in a way no one else does, her carefully constructed world begins to unravel.
This isn’t your typical feel-good romance. It’s real, messy, and painfully honest. Everly captures the emotional tug-of-war between comfort and courage, love and duty, staying and leaving.
The romance itself is slow-burn perfection. It’s not about instant chemistry but about connection, understanding, and timing. James doesn’t “fix” Sydney. He simply gives her the space to see herself clearly again. That dynamic made the story even more powerful.
It’s for readers who crave emotional realism, second chances, and a reminder that imperfection can be breathtaking.
💔 Beautifully flawed characters
🔥 Slow burn with emotional depth
🌿 Themes of growth, motherhood, identity, and choosing yourself
A stunning debut that proves life doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful—it just has to be real.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2025
Beautifully Messy: A slow burn holiday romance full of angst, heartbreak, and laughter by Noelle Everly – I won an advanced copy of this novel from Goodreads, and this is my honest opinion. So if I hadn’t won this book, I probably would have stopped reading when I realized that Sydney and James are emotionally cheating on their partners for several years before Sydney divorces Mason. But the writing was lovely, the characters were well developed and complicated, and the tension kept me invested in these characters’ lives all the way to the end. Honestly, if Sydney and Mason had gotten that divorce in 2019 instead of in 2023 I don’t think my anti-cheating flags would have been raised (or at least not the Macy’s Day Parade they ended up being). So as long as you go into this with the understanding that the title is spot on, I think you will also enjoy this! Happy Holiday Reading!
October 18, 2025
So 1st of all this is my sister's book!!! I am so deeply proud of her for this!!
I really enjoyed this story. Watching Sydney take back control of her life and going after the life and dreams she has always wanted was beautiful to watch.
It's obvious that Mason and Sydney were not meant to stay together. He repeatedly didn't show up for his family from the very start of their relationship. Maybe he felt safe and secure that she wouldn't ever leave him, and after Anna was born, he was even more convinced of that. I hope in future books we can see that he has changed and grown from this and can still be there for his daughter.
I loved that the epilog is James' POV!!
I'm excited to see what lies ahead for Ivy!!
I would recommend reading this book!!!
I really enjoyed this story. Watching Sydney take back control of her life and going after the life and dreams she has always wanted was beautiful to watch.
It's obvious that Mason and Sydney were not meant to stay together. He repeatedly didn't show up for his family from the very start of their relationship. Maybe he felt safe and secure that she wouldn't ever leave him, and after Anna was born, he was even more convinced of that. I hope in future books we can see that he has changed and grown from this and can still be there for his daughter.
I loved that the epilog is James' POV!!
I'm excited to see what lies ahead for Ivy!!
I would recommend reading this book!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2025
a slow burn that revolves around yearly Christmas festivities. I mean slow, yearning, I can't be with you but I need you slow burn. If you enjoyed Love Letters to Whiskey (one of my favorite books of all time) - I think this is a good one for you. I love a right person, bad timing story. And this was amazing.
Although the main asshole in this book is an abusive dick, I think in some ways every woman can relate to the loss of themselves in marriage and/or motherhood. Continuing in something that no longer makes them happy because if something changes it might affect their child. That your own happiness and being a good mother are mutually exclusive.
Although the main asshole in this book is an abusive dick, I think in some ways every woman can relate to the loss of themselves in marriage and/or motherhood. Continuing in something that no longer makes them happy because if something changes it might affect their child. That your own happiness and being a good mother are mutually exclusive.
December 30, 2025
This is a book I will be thinking about for a VERY long time. This is an incredible debit and I want to reread it already. This was so raw, such an emotional and heartfelt story and one you feel to your very bones. I loved how real this story felt. I could picture Sydney, Mason and James clearly, almost like I was in the story with them.
Coming from someone who got divorced, this also just hit home for me. There are just so many raw and real emotions during this whole book kept hitting me hard and I just couldn’t get enough of this story!
Coming from someone who got divorced, this also just hit home for me. There are just so many raw and real emotions during this whole book kept hitting me hard and I just couldn’t get enough of this story!
November 5, 2025
Ugh, what a beautiful debut novel. It made me feel all the feelings. Spreading the story over 5 years and making the reader go through all the happy, sad, and tense moments was a welcome change from the typical romance-type novel. Highly recommend. Can't wait to read the novella and for Ivy's book!
December 8, 2025
Not what I usually read but I enjoyed it. Characters were real - would have been j treated in hearing more of Gary’s take about his son’s behavior. Loved Tom and James and their reactions to Mason.
December 20, 2025
Lovely angst and tension. Choices. Consequences. Best Christmas story I have read this year.
December 27, 2025
It’s like a badly wrapped present. It is what’s on the inside that counts! But boy that wrapping is messy!
December 28, 2025
4.75 🌟
December 31, 2025
a beautifully messy story told so elegantly over five Christmases. a story that makes you settle in with a cup of coffee to keep turning the page.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews