What do you think?
Rate this book
We Three Kings #1
Snow Place Like Home
New York Times Bestselling author Denise Grover Swank writing as Rachel Thorne.
Snowflakes melt, but love in Hollybrook just might stick.
Finley O’Brien has two jobs, a mountain of debt, and exactly zero time for romance. Her Christmas plans include a steak-for-one, a grumpy cat, and While You Were Sleeping on repeat.
Alex King has a tech startup, a meddling family, and a major holiday if he shows up to Christmas without a girlfriend, he’s doomed to a lumpy sofa bed with three sugar-amped kids.
When Alex makes Finley a wild offer—an all-expenses-paid trip to his family’s Vermont hometown in exchange for pretending to be his girlfriend—she knows it’s ridiculous. She also knows it’s everything her late mother ever wished for a real Christmas with snow, sleigh rides, and magic.
Finley is sweet, funny, and nothing like the women Alex usually dates. Playing pretend gets complicated fast when sparks start flying under the mistletoe. Suddenly, this fake romance feels anything but make-believe…
Snow Place Like Home is a heartwarming holiday rom-com filled with cozy small-town charm, laugh-out-loud banter, and all the Christmas magic you can handle.
Snowflakes melt, but love in Hollybrook just might stick.
Finley O’Brien has two jobs, a mountain of debt, and exactly zero time for romance. Her Christmas plans include a steak-for-one, a grumpy cat, and While You Were Sleeping on repeat.
Alex King has a tech startup, a meddling family, and a major holiday if he shows up to Christmas without a girlfriend, he’s doomed to a lumpy sofa bed with three sugar-amped kids.
When Alex makes Finley a wild offer—an all-expenses-paid trip to his family’s Vermont hometown in exchange for pretending to be his girlfriend—she knows it’s ridiculous. She also knows it’s everything her late mother ever wished for a real Christmas with snow, sleigh rides, and magic.
Finley is sweet, funny, and nothing like the women Alex usually dates. Playing pretend gets complicated fast when sparks start flying under the mistletoe. Suddenly, this fake romance feels anything but make-believe…
Snow Place Like Home is a heartwarming holiday rom-com filled with cozy small-town charm, laugh-out-loud banter, and all the Christmas magic you can handle.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 13, 2025
89 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
December 6, 2025
Just finished reading Snow Place Like Home by Rachel Thorne and it was the perfect Christmas romance to get you in the holiday spirit! If you love small town, fake dating, friends to lovers, unlikely couple storylines, then you will absolutely love this book! I appreciate that I was given the opportunity to read this as an ARC and I look forward to reading the other books in the trilogy!
November 13, 2025
Snow Place Like Home, the first book of We Three Kings trilogy written by the well known bestselling author Denise Grover Swank under her new pen name Rachel Thorne was an excellent read.
Set in a Christmas-wonderland-like town of Hollybrook, the Kings family home.
Fake relationship between Finley and Alex, mischievous funny and hilarious awkward moments, blurring lines between pretend and real, family banter, drama, secrets and much more are entwined seamlessly into this story.
I’ve had all the emotions from laughter to tears in a few minutes of reading. It was such a delightful story and all I can say is that I absolutely loved it and need more!
Set in a Christmas-wonderland-like town of Hollybrook, the Kings family home.
Fake relationship between Finley and Alex, mischievous funny and hilarious awkward moments, blurring lines between pretend and real, family banter, drama, secrets and much more are entwined seamlessly into this story.
I’ve had all the emotions from laughter to tears in a few minutes of reading. It was such a delightful story and all I can say is that I absolutely loved it and need more!
November 8, 2025
I had the pleasure of receiving this as an e-ARC and will voluntarily be giving my honest review. This was a wholesome heart felt Christmas story! This was written in dual POV which was great to hear both characters story!! I had a love hate relationship with the characters but they ending up growing on me!! Definitely a great Christmas read with lots of Christmas vibes!!
“Snow Place Like Home is a heartwarming holiday rom-com filled with cozy small-town charm, laugh-out-loud banter, and all the Christmas magic you can handle.”
“Snow Place Like Home is a heartwarming holiday rom-com filled with cozy small-town charm, laugh-out-loud banter, and all the Christmas magic you can handle.”
November 13, 2025
Snow Place Like Home was one of my favorite holiday reads so far this year! Rachel Thorne's writing is fantastic; she had me going through a roller coaster of emotions. One minute I was laughing, kicking my feet, and the next I was crying. The storyline was so much fun, heartwarming, and engaging! I didn't want to put it down.
Finley is a ray of sunshine and cares deeply about others. She's an orphan and has to work two jobs to pay for her mom's past medical bills, but doesn't let that keep her down! All Finley wants is the whole Christmas experience, snow and everything. So when Alex offers a trip to his hometown in exchange for being his fake girlfriend, she couldn't say no. After all, there is no better place than Hollybrook for Christmastime!
Alex has a tech startup, and he has to bring home a girlfriend, or else he'll have to sleep on a lumpy sofa bed. He's never dated anyone like Finley before, normally going for high-maintenance, successful businesswomen. I loved seeing their relationship start from friends and then develop into something more!
I loved how welcoming the King family was; they welcomed her with open arms, really making her feel like she was a part of the family. They did all the Christmas traditions, including caroling, making cookies, decorating a tree, and going to the Christmas market.
Tyler was definitely my favorite King family member. He was so honorable, truly caring for Finley and her well-being.
Another one of my favorite parts was Barb and Mirna; they were like her meddling grandmothers. They may tease her, but they will always be there for her no matter what. They love her like their own and always put a smile on Finley's face.
I highly recommend Snow Place Like Home! I need a book two with more from the King family!
Finley is a ray of sunshine and cares deeply about others. She's an orphan and has to work two jobs to pay for her mom's past medical bills, but doesn't let that keep her down! All Finley wants is the whole Christmas experience, snow and everything. So when Alex offers a trip to his hometown in exchange for being his fake girlfriend, she couldn't say no. After all, there is no better place than Hollybrook for Christmastime!
Alex has a tech startup, and he has to bring home a girlfriend, or else he'll have to sleep on a lumpy sofa bed. He's never dated anyone like Finley before, normally going for high-maintenance, successful businesswomen. I loved seeing their relationship start from friends and then develop into something more!
I loved how welcoming the King family was; they welcomed her with open arms, really making her feel like she was a part of the family. They did all the Christmas traditions, including caroling, making cookies, decorating a tree, and going to the Christmas market.
Tyler was definitely my favorite King family member. He was so honorable, truly caring for Finley and her well-being.
Another one of my favorite parts was Barb and Mirna; they were like her meddling grandmothers. They may tease her, but they will always be there for her no matter what. They love her like their own and always put a smile on Finley's face.
I highly recommend Snow Place Like Home! I need a book two with more from the King family!
November 16, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Snow Place Like Home by Rachel Thorne
Alex is a workaholic who has been avoiding his family for years while working on a tech startup and living in Atlanta. He finally caves and agrees to go home for Christmas. However, if he shows up without a girlfriend, he will be doomed to the sofa bed in the basement with three rambunctious kids sharing his space. So he does what any sane person would do. He strikes up a deal with Finley, the barista from the coffee shop in his office building to be his fake girlfriend and go home with him to Vermont. This is a win-win for Finley. He's going to pay her for her lost wages, and she will finally get to experience the small town, storybook, white Christmas that she and her mom always wanted. So what if she has a slight crush on Alex. What could go wrong?
I was a bit concerned that this book was advertised as no spice. Guess what? I didn't miss it at all! This was the best slow burn that I have ever read!!! This book reads like a holiday movie that you would sit down to watch repeatedly during the season. I laughed out loud so many times while reading this one. Every single character adds to the story, and I can't wait to continue the series. Just a bit of a warning, though. From chapter 30 on, I was tore up. My husband came in after I had finished it and asked me if I was okay. No, I was not. I cried so hard I almost threw up! And that is not me. I had to wait until today to write this, as my eyes were shot and I couldn't see to type. THIS BOOK DESERVES ALL THE STARS!!! It is definitely my favorite out of all the holiday books I have read this year so far, and it might even be my favorite read of the year, period. If you add one holiday book to your TBR this year, let it be this one!
I received an ARC of this book, but these opinions are my own. I would like to thank the author, Rachel Thorne, and Crowns and Chaos for allowing me the privilege of reading her work. ❤️
Snow Place Like Home by Rachel Thorne
Alex is a workaholic who has been avoiding his family for years while working on a tech startup and living in Atlanta. He finally caves and agrees to go home for Christmas. However, if he shows up without a girlfriend, he will be doomed to the sofa bed in the basement with three rambunctious kids sharing his space. So he does what any sane person would do. He strikes up a deal with Finley, the barista from the coffee shop in his office building to be his fake girlfriend and go home with him to Vermont. This is a win-win for Finley. He's going to pay her for her lost wages, and she will finally get to experience the small town, storybook, white Christmas that she and her mom always wanted. So what if she has a slight crush on Alex. What could go wrong?
I was a bit concerned that this book was advertised as no spice. Guess what? I didn't miss it at all! This was the best slow burn that I have ever read!!! This book reads like a holiday movie that you would sit down to watch repeatedly during the season. I laughed out loud so many times while reading this one. Every single character adds to the story, and I can't wait to continue the series. Just a bit of a warning, though. From chapter 30 on, I was tore up. My husband came in after I had finished it and asked me if I was okay. No, I was not. I cried so hard I almost threw up! And that is not me. I had to wait until today to write this, as my eyes were shot and I couldn't see to type. THIS BOOK DESERVES ALL THE STARS!!! It is definitely my favorite out of all the holiday books I have read this year so far, and it might even be my favorite read of the year, period. If you add one holiday book to your TBR this year, let it be this one!
I received an ARC of this book, but these opinions are my own. I would like to thank the author, Rachel Thorne, and Crowns and Chaos for allowing me the privilege of reading her work. ❤️
December 29, 2025
Awesome. Loveable FMC. MMC takes some getting used to, but I guesssss you can say he has some character development. Honestly, I was rooting for Tyler 😂 I was hoping this would be the rare book where it’s NOT the initial guy who gets the girl, but alas. I relate to Finley in a lot of ways.
LOVE all the side characters. I think Mallory and Barb are my favorite.
I was very emotionally invested in this book, so I’m not sure what’s holding me back from five stars. Imma sleep on it. But as of now, four stars.
Listened to audiobook but couldn’t find that on GR. Guess the book just came out a couple weeks ago, which I didn’t realize, but maybe that’s why the audiobook isn’t listed yet.
LOVE all the side characters. I think Mallory and Barb are my favorite.
I was very emotionally invested in this book, so I’m not sure what’s holding me back from five stars. Imma sleep on it. But as of now, four stars.
Listened to audiobook but couldn’t find that on GR. Guess the book just came out a couple weeks ago, which I didn’t realize, but maybe that’s why the audiobook isn’t listed yet.
November 13, 2025
Snow Place
This is a cute Christmas story, with a Hallmark movie feel to it. A picture perfect town to spend Christmas in with a family, only problem? It's not Finley home, she lives with her cat and has two best friends who are senior citizens and these ladies steal the show every single time.....I want Barb and Mirna to adopt me. Alex makes a deal with Finley due well, basically sibling rivalry.
This book is funny, sweet and I just loved it. It will make you feel good
This is a cute Christmas story, with a Hallmark movie feel to it. A picture perfect town to spend Christmas in with a family, only problem? It's not Finley home, she lives with her cat and has two best friends who are senior citizens and these ladies steal the show every single time.....I want Barb and Mirna to adopt me. Alex makes a deal with Finley due well, basically sibling rivalry.
This book is funny, sweet and I just loved it. It will make you feel good
November 13, 2025
This was a cute romcom about an arranged girlfriend who goes hime with the boyfriend to help him. It is in the most Christmassy town and she is all about it. He paid her and her ticket to get there. The family loves her and is working til grouchy brother shows up accusing brother to using the girl as a girlfriend. Beautiful Christmas story. Writing was fun and characters likable. Would read the rest of the stories. Great book fir holidays!
December 21, 2025
I was recommended this book by my friend who loved it! And let me tell you… will be reading more from this author! Whenever the next book comes out, I would love to read it right away!
January 11, 2026
"While You Were Sleeping" meets "The Family Stone."
November 30, 2025
I absolutely loved this book and these characters! Lately, so much of my reading has been in the high fantasy or romantasy genre, but it was such a nice change of pace to read a sweet and happy romantic Christmas comedy. I really enjoyed getting to know Finley and Alex, as well as Alex’s family. I also appreciated the dual point of view, and I loved the side characters—especially Finley’s “grandmothers.” What a hoot they were! I thought I would feel cheated by the off-page sexy scenes, but I didn’t miss them one bit! In fact, I appreciated it! And there was still plenty of yearning and innuendo to keep the reader interested. I can’t wait for the next “We Three Kings” book to come out next year. Reading it will be my new favorite Christmas tradition!
December 9, 2025
LOVED. It’s like the best Hallmark movie. I’m also a SUCKER for fake dating..
But what do you mean I have to wait a year for another King brother😩
But what do you mean I have to wait a year for another King brother😩
January 1, 2026
The last book I read for the year ended up being an absolute dud after a somewhat starting promise.
I didn’t expect this to be some awesome, contemporary read, but I expected it to be better than what I got.
Fake dating for the holidays? Sounds perfect. But for Alex and Finley, they were so terrible together, I don’t blame Alex’s brothers for calling it a sham as soon as they heard about it.
Alex and Finley have zero chemistry. For the entire time. Typically, when you pretend to date somebody, you go a little to far trying to prove it with incredible amounts of PDA and gestures while others are watching, which creates the whole internal shitstorm of “wow this is amazing imagine if it was real!” To “wow Is this actually fake or is it serious?”
I swear to god it feels like the author has never interacted with people before. These characters act like they’ve never interacted with people before. The conversations they all have sound cheesy and fake and all born out of nice gestures to show they have manners. Think of:
“Nice weather we’re having.”
“How are you? Good, how are you?”
The whole thing felt incredibly stale and fake. Which I guess might be on par for a book that’s titled like a pun. Even so, it made for boring family interactions and even more boring scenes between Alex and Finley, who are supposed to be a couple.
It’s like Alex has never interacted with women before. His whole thing is “I’m a self centered ass hole and I only care for myself and no one else!” So maybe that’s why he doesn’t know how to behave with Finley, but that’s just a poor excuse I’m giving for him. He sucked.
He wasn’t even that much of a self centered prick. You’re told he is, but you never actually see it. Yeah, he’s trying to pretend like he’s not when he’s with Finley and they’re playing pretend, but even before they executed this deal, he still wasn’t really that self centered. If anything, he’s just kinda stupid.
The whole reason he brought her anyway was so he didn’t have to sleep on the sofa bed with some children in his family? I could think of ten other reasons why he would want to bring a fake girlfriend to Christmas and they would still be better than that.
To be fair, I would not be sleeping on a sofa bed with somebody’s grandchildren. I would, I don’t know, sleep on the couch in the living room instead upstairs?? Even if that meant I got woken up early every day by other people existing in the house. My first idea would not be to hire somebody to be my partner so I can sleep in my childhood room in my actual bed. So that right there was already a weak setup.
Besides Alex being weird and an ass clown, the women in this book were all terrible. Maybe that sounds misogynistic. I don’t care. You would think that these people were like 14 years old. Finley, Mallory (Alex’s sister) and I’ll even group Valerie (Alex’s mom) into this because she wasn’t much better.
They three girls become a fantastic trio (if that’s what you want to call it) and do everything together. Christmas baking. Cooking dinner. Whatever. It’s all dandy until you realize: they don’t ever talk about anything. The only thing they talk about are Finley and Alex’s relationship. How did you meet? How long have you been together? What’s your favorite thing to do with one another? It’s supposed to create drama since she doesn’t actually know the answers to these things because it’s not real, but it was just really boring.
Valerie: I had no substance, but she’s just supposed to be the nice Mom who does everything for everyone, so what else can you expect?
Mallory: I think is 19 or 20 years old but acts like she’s 11. I don’t know anything about this girl other than … hm. Well. She’s Alex’s sister. That’s basically all I’ve got.
Finley: the biggest baby on the entire planet. Why is it so hard for anyone to write nice female characters without making them seem like an infant or a child? I swear to God, Finley cries every single chapter. And if she’s not crying in every chapter, she’s tearing up because she’s just so happy!! or is stricken with grief over her dead mother. Who has been dead for six years, but you would think she just died six months ago based on how she acts.
I guess Christmas was their favorite holiday together and every year was super magical until she died. So now it’s kind of a bummer but she still has holiday spirit and what not, so that’s good for her. However, it was really irritating, carrying Finley’s monologue about her dead mother over and over again because it was always the same shit. The whole reason Finley went to Hollybrook is because it’s some sort of “Christmas town” which I guess means it looks like it belongs in a Hallmark movie, which they also mention a hundred times, in case you didn’t catch it the first fifty. Apparently it was her and her mother’s dream to celebrate Christmas in a place up north? Not specifically up north, but it needed to be cold and snowy, which doesn’t happen in Georgia, so that’s an accurate description. It didn’t necessarily have to be Hollybrook, it just had to be a magical town in a place where it snows.
Anyway, Alex and his family spin this whole sob story after what they learned about Finley, going as far as calling her an orphan … and I’m not really sure if you can be an orphan at 25. Finley has two jobs. An apartment. And a pet. After she pays off the massive medical debt her mother left her with, she’s going to go to college to be an RN. So why her family thought she was out on the streets and Alex rescued her is beyond me.
Aside from Finley being a huge baby and crying every 10 minutes, the book itself was a massive cliché and extremely unrealistic. I understand this was just supposed to be a holiday romance and it was supposed to be a little bit corny, but you’re telling me the first activity. All of these people did within two hours of meeting Alex’s girlfriend was go CAROLING????
I’m crying. Do people even carol in real life? If they do, where can I see them?? Maybe up north.
Then the next day, they Christmas break in the morning. Which is normal enough, but you don’t even get to read about that you just hear about it. In the same day, they go to the Christmas market. I’ve never been to one, but it sounds like fun. And busy. But I digress.
I think the day after that it’s Christmas Eve, and then Alex takes her to go chop down a tree at a Christmas tree farm…. Because he thinks she would like it. She’s supposed to be having the best Christmas ever like Drake and Josh promised those children, so he wants to deliver, but at the same time he thinks he’s falling for her because why would he ever do these things for some girl?
Which is a thought that he has plenty of times.
I would almost argue that this was a little bit of insta love. I’m pretty sure that Finley says that she had a little bit of a crush on Alex at the beginning of this book, but then as soon as they meet at the airport to go to his family home, she just finds things to be mad about. He doesn’t even say anything that crazy for her to get an instant attitude over, especially because they pretty much are strangers. He might go to her coffee shop every day and get the same order, but that’s the only time they would’ve ever and they would never speak about anything personal.
Idk. This whole book was just stupid on a level that I’m not even sure I can explain. It was constant repeated dialogue. Constant repeated monologue. Maybe every now and then some of the words would be different, but it was like reading the same regurgitated chapter 25 times.
I think Valerie made hot chocolate five different times.
Everything was a Christmas tradition in this household. You wake up on Christmas morning: TRADITION.
You breathe on Christmas morning: TRADITION.
You get up in the morning and still wear your pajamas downstairs to open presents: TRADITION.
First off who the fuck is getting up on Christmas morning and changing into their daily attire? No one. It’s not a tradition if the whole country does it.
Also, Finley has no friends except for two old Grandma’s . I’m not sure what that whole plot point was about, but it feels very specific. Anytime she mentions talking to her friends, it’s two women in their like 70s. She works with people at the coffee shop that are her own age, but you don’t hear about them when she leaves Georgia and you only hear about them again when she returns from Hollybrook. Why were these old women are only friends? Why did no one question why she only had old lady friends?
No one questioned anything except for one of Alex’s brothers. He was probably the smartest one in the whole book.
Everyone cried like every day. Mallory wailed like a child when Finley said she wanted to go home because Alex’s stupid brother was mean.
Like. Okay.
Finley had no backbone and I don’t know how she even stood up because there was no spine. Grant blamed Finley for his girlfriend breaking up with him…. Which is stupid because she obviously broke up with him because she didn’t wanna come to Christmas and sleep on the sofa bed with kids. Naturally, that’s Finley’s fault I guess. And she takes it to heart?? Cries about it, calls her grandmothers and tells them that she has to come home right now, and then intern makes everyone else cry because no, she can’t leave!! It’s Christmas!!
You would think that they were setting a newborn baby out in a bassinet in the snow to freeze to death on Christmas Day with how they all acted about Finley wanting to not be around Grant after he was a douche bag.
And it’s so ridiculous because Finley told Alex off at the beginning of the novel when he tried to say that they should lie about how they met because he was embarrassed that she was a barista. Just because that’s not his usual type of girl and he was worried none of them would believe that she was actually his girlfriend if she didn’t have some high class job like him.
So you can tell him off, but you have no spine towards the end of the book when Grant shows up and says it’s your fault that his girlfriend broke up with him?
The best part about this whole thing is that the grandkids never even came over. They couldn’t make it. You have to laugh.
There is so much more I could say about this book, but I don’t feel like writing this review anymore. Alex and Finley were terrible together and the ending was lame. Mallory needs to stop acting like she’s 10 and Finley needs to grow a spine and stop crying all the damn time.
Which, by the way, Finley tears up at one point and Alex is like why are you crying? I don’t wanna see you cry! And Mallory says she’s not crying out of sadness. She’s crying because she’s happy! And he’s like who cries when they are happy? And she said it’s a girl thing. We cry when we’re happy.
Speak for yourself, cry babies. You can only catch me crying tears of happiness at two points in my life: the reputation stadium tour and the eras tour.
Let me add a third: when I got my first dog at 14.
Finley cries because she’s the nice girl and all the nice girls cry in books because they are so soft and small and the protection.
I’m finishing this now. Kayla, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me more because this book provided endless material to rip on.
I didn’t expect this to be some awesome, contemporary read, but I expected it to be better than what I got.
Fake dating for the holidays? Sounds perfect. But for Alex and Finley, they were so terrible together, I don’t blame Alex’s brothers for calling it a sham as soon as they heard about it.
Alex and Finley have zero chemistry. For the entire time. Typically, when you pretend to date somebody, you go a little to far trying to prove it with incredible amounts of PDA and gestures while others are watching, which creates the whole internal shitstorm of “wow this is amazing imagine if it was real!” To “wow Is this actually fake or is it serious?”
I swear to god it feels like the author has never interacted with people before. These characters act like they’ve never interacted with people before. The conversations they all have sound cheesy and fake and all born out of nice gestures to show they have manners. Think of:
“Nice weather we’re having.”
“How are you? Good, how are you?”
The whole thing felt incredibly stale and fake. Which I guess might be on par for a book that’s titled like a pun. Even so, it made for boring family interactions and even more boring scenes between Alex and Finley, who are supposed to be a couple.
It’s like Alex has never interacted with women before. His whole thing is “I’m a self centered ass hole and I only care for myself and no one else!” So maybe that’s why he doesn’t know how to behave with Finley, but that’s just a poor excuse I’m giving for him. He sucked.
He wasn’t even that much of a self centered prick. You’re told he is, but you never actually see it. Yeah, he’s trying to pretend like he’s not when he’s with Finley and they’re playing pretend, but even before they executed this deal, he still wasn’t really that self centered. If anything, he’s just kinda stupid.
The whole reason he brought her anyway was so he didn’t have to sleep on the sofa bed with some children in his family? I could think of ten other reasons why he would want to bring a fake girlfriend to Christmas and they would still be better than that.
To be fair, I would not be sleeping on a sofa bed with somebody’s grandchildren. I would, I don’t know, sleep on the couch in the living room instead upstairs?? Even if that meant I got woken up early every day by other people existing in the house. My first idea would not be to hire somebody to be my partner so I can sleep in my childhood room in my actual bed. So that right there was already a weak setup.
Besides Alex being weird and an ass clown, the women in this book were all terrible. Maybe that sounds misogynistic. I don’t care. You would think that these people were like 14 years old. Finley, Mallory (Alex’s sister) and I’ll even group Valerie (Alex’s mom) into this because she wasn’t much better.
They three girls become a fantastic trio (if that’s what you want to call it) and do everything together. Christmas baking. Cooking dinner. Whatever. It’s all dandy until you realize: they don’t ever talk about anything. The only thing they talk about are Finley and Alex’s relationship. How did you meet? How long have you been together? What’s your favorite thing to do with one another? It’s supposed to create drama since she doesn’t actually know the answers to these things because it’s not real, but it was just really boring.
Valerie: I had no substance, but she’s just supposed to be the nice Mom who does everything for everyone, so what else can you expect?
Mallory: I think is 19 or 20 years old but acts like she’s 11. I don’t know anything about this girl other than … hm. Well. She’s Alex’s sister. That’s basically all I’ve got.
Finley: the biggest baby on the entire planet. Why is it so hard for anyone to write nice female characters without making them seem like an infant or a child? I swear to God, Finley cries every single chapter. And if she’s not crying in every chapter, she’s tearing up because she’s just so happy!! or is stricken with grief over her dead mother. Who has been dead for six years, but you would think she just died six months ago based on how she acts.
I guess Christmas was their favorite holiday together and every year was super magical until she died. So now it’s kind of a bummer but she still has holiday spirit and what not, so that’s good for her. However, it was really irritating, carrying Finley’s monologue about her dead mother over and over again because it was always the same shit. The whole reason Finley went to Hollybrook is because it’s some sort of “Christmas town” which I guess means it looks like it belongs in a Hallmark movie, which they also mention a hundred times, in case you didn’t catch it the first fifty. Apparently it was her and her mother’s dream to celebrate Christmas in a place up north? Not specifically up north, but it needed to be cold and snowy, which doesn’t happen in Georgia, so that’s an accurate description. It didn’t necessarily have to be Hollybrook, it just had to be a magical town in a place where it snows.
Anyway, Alex and his family spin this whole sob story after what they learned about Finley, going as far as calling her an orphan … and I’m not really sure if you can be an orphan at 25. Finley has two jobs. An apartment. And a pet. After she pays off the massive medical debt her mother left her with, she’s going to go to college to be an RN. So why her family thought she was out on the streets and Alex rescued her is beyond me.
Aside from Finley being a huge baby and crying every 10 minutes, the book itself was a massive cliché and extremely unrealistic. I understand this was just supposed to be a holiday romance and it was supposed to be a little bit corny, but you’re telling me the first activity. All of these people did within two hours of meeting Alex’s girlfriend was go CAROLING????
I’m crying. Do people even carol in real life? If they do, where can I see them?? Maybe up north.
Then the next day, they Christmas break in the morning. Which is normal enough, but you don’t even get to read about that you just hear about it. In the same day, they go to the Christmas market. I’ve never been to one, but it sounds like fun. And busy. But I digress.
I think the day after that it’s Christmas Eve, and then Alex takes her to go chop down a tree at a Christmas tree farm…. Because he thinks she would like it. She’s supposed to be having the best Christmas ever like Drake and Josh promised those children, so he wants to deliver, but at the same time he thinks he’s falling for her because why would he ever do these things for some girl?
Which is a thought that he has plenty of times.
I would almost argue that this was a little bit of insta love. I’m pretty sure that Finley says that she had a little bit of a crush on Alex at the beginning of this book, but then as soon as they meet at the airport to go to his family home, she just finds things to be mad about. He doesn’t even say anything that crazy for her to get an instant attitude over, especially because they pretty much are strangers. He might go to her coffee shop every day and get the same order, but that’s the only time they would’ve ever and they would never speak about anything personal.
Idk. This whole book was just stupid on a level that I’m not even sure I can explain. It was constant repeated dialogue. Constant repeated monologue. Maybe every now and then some of the words would be different, but it was like reading the same regurgitated chapter 25 times.
I think Valerie made hot chocolate five different times.
Everything was a Christmas tradition in this household. You wake up on Christmas morning: TRADITION.
You breathe on Christmas morning: TRADITION.
You get up in the morning and still wear your pajamas downstairs to open presents: TRADITION.
First off who the fuck is getting up on Christmas morning and changing into their daily attire? No one. It’s not a tradition if the whole country does it.
Also, Finley has no friends except for two old Grandma’s . I’m not sure what that whole plot point was about, but it feels very specific. Anytime she mentions talking to her friends, it’s two women in their like 70s. She works with people at the coffee shop that are her own age, but you don’t hear about them when she leaves Georgia and you only hear about them again when she returns from Hollybrook. Why were these old women are only friends? Why did no one question why she only had old lady friends?
No one questioned anything except for one of Alex’s brothers. He was probably the smartest one in the whole book.
Everyone cried like every day. Mallory wailed like a child when Finley said she wanted to go home because Alex’s stupid brother was mean.
Like. Okay.
Finley had no backbone and I don’t know how she even stood up because there was no spine. Grant blamed Finley for his girlfriend breaking up with him…. Which is stupid because she obviously broke up with him because she didn’t wanna come to Christmas and sleep on the sofa bed with kids. Naturally, that’s Finley’s fault I guess. And she takes it to heart?? Cries about it, calls her grandmothers and tells them that she has to come home right now, and then intern makes everyone else cry because no, she can’t leave!! It’s Christmas!!
You would think that they were setting a newborn baby out in a bassinet in the snow to freeze to death on Christmas Day with how they all acted about Finley wanting to not be around Grant after he was a douche bag.
And it’s so ridiculous because Finley told Alex off at the beginning of the novel when he tried to say that they should lie about how they met because he was embarrassed that she was a barista. Just because that’s not his usual type of girl and he was worried none of them would believe that she was actually his girlfriend if she didn’t have some high class job like him.
So you can tell him off, but you have no spine towards the end of the book when Grant shows up and says it’s your fault that his girlfriend broke up with him?
The best part about this whole thing is that the grandkids never even came over. They couldn’t make it. You have to laugh.
There is so much more I could say about this book, but I don’t feel like writing this review anymore. Alex and Finley were terrible together and the ending was lame. Mallory needs to stop acting like she’s 10 and Finley needs to grow a spine and stop crying all the damn time.
Which, by the way, Finley tears up at one point and Alex is like why are you crying? I don’t wanna see you cry! And Mallory says she’s not crying out of sadness. She’s crying because she’s happy! And he’s like who cries when they are happy? And she said it’s a girl thing. We cry when we’re happy.
Speak for yourself, cry babies. You can only catch me crying tears of happiness at two points in my life: the reputation stadium tour and the eras tour.
Let me add a third: when I got my first dog at 14.
Finley cries because she’s the nice girl and all the nice girls cry in books because they are so soft and small and the protection.
I’m finishing this now. Kayla, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me more because this book provided endless material to rip on.
November 25, 2025
While I tried to get through this book, it wasn't it for me. I got some of the Christmas feel to it, but none of the romance just yet. So I sadly DNF'd this book. No hate to the author, but this book just wasn't for me.
December 5, 2025
Perfect Christmas romance!
November 12, 2025
If you’re looking for a Hallmark style holiday romance, you’ll love this. This one was packed with fun elements: fake dating, forced proximity, and so much holiday spirit! There was lots of tension and mixed signals between Alex and Finley. If you prefer your romance full of charm with a closed door, this one won’t disappoint!
November 23, 2025
Disclaimer
ARC provided by the author—review powered entirely by cold brew, chaos, and my own honest opinions.
About the Book
Snowflakes melt, but love in Hollybrook just might stick.
Finley O’Brien has two jobs, a mountain of debt, and exactly zero time for romance. Her Christmas plans include a steak-for-one, a grumpy cat, and While You Were Sleeping on repeat.
Alex King has a tech startup, a meddling family, and a major holiday problem: if he shows up to Christmas without a girlfriend, he’s doomed to a lumpy sofa bed with three sugar-amped kids.
When Alex makes Finley a wild offer—an all-expenses-paid trip to his family’s Vermont hometown in exchange for pretending to be his girlfriend—she knows it’s ridiculous. She also knows it’s everything her late mother ever wished for her: a real Christmas with snow, sleigh rides, and magic.
Finley is sweet, funny, and nothing like the women Alex usually dates. Playing pretend gets complicated fast when sparks start flying under the mistletoe. Suddenly, this fake romance feels anything but make-believe…
Snow Place Like Home is a heartwarming holiday rom-com filled with cozy small-town charm, laugh-out-loud banter, and all the Christmas magic you can handle.
My Thoughts
I love a good holiday rom-com, and Snow Place Like Home feels like it was plucked straight out of a Hallmark movie—in the best, coziest, most predictable way possible. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, and even though these stories follow a familiar formula, each one brings something different to the table: new motivations, unique personalities, different traditions, and fresh twists. Snow Place Like Home fits that mold perfectly, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
We meet Finley, one of the strongest characters I’ve read in a while. Her mom passed away from cancer six years ago, leaving Finley in massive debt. She works two part-time jobs, is putting herself through nursing school, and is doing everything she can to stay afloat. Then there’s Alex—a man who runs a start-up, dates “sophisticated” women, and initially comes off like a narcissist. But he’s more complicated than he seems. He’s also the one who needs a fake girlfriend… for quite literally the most ridiculous reason ever. If he shows up single to his family’s Christmas, he has to sleep on the sofa in the same room as his aunt’s three feral grandchildren. It wasn’t even his idea—his business partner, Roland (certified scumbag), came up with it after spotting Finley at her coffee shop. Alex wasn’t on board at first, but the more he thought about it, the more the idea grew on him—not that he’d admit it, considering they both already had tiny crushes on each other.
The side characters—Barb and Mirna—are absolute gems. Because of a clerical error, Finley lives in a low-income senior housing complex, and these two ladies have become her honorary grandmothers. They tell her the truth whether she wants to hear it or not and show up for her in every way that matters. Barb is delightfully “spicy book” obsessed, while Mirna is morally opposed—creating some of the funniest banter in the book.
The character development in this story is one of its strongest elements. Alex grows tremendously—he goes from cold and prickly to vulnerable and genuinely caring. He’s been carrying a secret for years, and once he finally opens up to his family, everything makes sense. I do wish this reveal had happened earlier so we could’ve spent more time with that growth, especially since he picks a fight with a childhood friend early on and never gets the chance to make amends.
Finley is a delight—kind, hopeful, but unsure of herself. The only thing she wants out of this arrangement is her first real white Christmas, something she and her mom always dreamed of. Taking this risk is her way of honoring her mom’s wish for her to be braver and say yes to life. Her enthusiasm lights up the entire King family and pulls out a softer, long-lost side of Alex. She cherishes every moment of the magical holiday they share, but she also feels guilty deceiving his family. She makes it very clear to Alex that the only lie she’ll tell is that they’re dating; everything else has to be the truth. That’s why it hurts when Alex initially judges her job and circumstances without knowing what she’s been through. Once he learns, though, his respect deepens—and so do his feelings. Finley’s growth comes from realizing she isn’t a burden, she is wanted, and she doesn’t have to carry everything alone.
The dialogue feels refreshingly real—messy, funny, and not overly polished. There’s no actual spice, though spicy book plots are mentioned, and the overall banter is genuinely fun. One of Finley’s inner thoughts even includes the phrase “you’re just being butt hurt,” which made me laugh out loud because it felt so true-to-life. Thorne also sprinkles in tongue-in-cheek nods to classic Hallmark tropes, and those self-aware moments were an absolute delight.
There were a few minor drawbacks. Language was a little heavier than I prefer—not overly explicit, just frequent. And the ending, while charming, was predictable, especially the grand gesture. But honestly? Predictable isn’t a flaw in a holiday rom-com. It’s part of the charm.
Final Thoughts
Snow Place Like Home is everything I want in a cozy holiday romance—sweet, heartwarming, snowy, and full of characters you can root for. While the language kept this from being a five-coffee read for me, the charm, humor, character growth, and emotional beats more than make up for it. It felt familiar in the best way, like curling up with a beloved Christmas movie.
If you're craving winter magic, found family vibes, a Hallmark-worthy romance, and the rush of experiencing a first white Christmas right alongside the main character, this is one you don’t want to miss.
ARC provided by the author—review powered entirely by cold brew, chaos, and my own honest opinions.
About the Book
Snowflakes melt, but love in Hollybrook just might stick.
Finley O’Brien has two jobs, a mountain of debt, and exactly zero time for romance. Her Christmas plans include a steak-for-one, a grumpy cat, and While You Were Sleeping on repeat.
Alex King has a tech startup, a meddling family, and a major holiday problem: if he shows up to Christmas without a girlfriend, he’s doomed to a lumpy sofa bed with three sugar-amped kids.
When Alex makes Finley a wild offer—an all-expenses-paid trip to his family’s Vermont hometown in exchange for pretending to be his girlfriend—she knows it’s ridiculous. She also knows it’s everything her late mother ever wished for her: a real Christmas with snow, sleigh rides, and magic.
Finley is sweet, funny, and nothing like the women Alex usually dates. Playing pretend gets complicated fast when sparks start flying under the mistletoe. Suddenly, this fake romance feels anything but make-believe…
Snow Place Like Home is a heartwarming holiday rom-com filled with cozy small-town charm, laugh-out-loud banter, and all the Christmas magic you can handle.
My Thoughts
I love a good holiday rom-com, and Snow Place Like Home feels like it was plucked straight out of a Hallmark movie—in the best, coziest, most predictable way possible. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, and even though these stories follow a familiar formula, each one brings something different to the table: new motivations, unique personalities, different traditions, and fresh twists. Snow Place Like Home fits that mold perfectly, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
We meet Finley, one of the strongest characters I’ve read in a while. Her mom passed away from cancer six years ago, leaving Finley in massive debt. She works two part-time jobs, is putting herself through nursing school, and is doing everything she can to stay afloat. Then there’s Alex—a man who runs a start-up, dates “sophisticated” women, and initially comes off like a narcissist. But he’s more complicated than he seems. He’s also the one who needs a fake girlfriend… for quite literally the most ridiculous reason ever. If he shows up single to his family’s Christmas, he has to sleep on the sofa in the same room as his aunt’s three feral grandchildren. It wasn’t even his idea—his business partner, Roland (certified scumbag), came up with it after spotting Finley at her coffee shop. Alex wasn’t on board at first, but the more he thought about it, the more the idea grew on him—not that he’d admit it, considering they both already had tiny crushes on each other.
The side characters—Barb and Mirna—are absolute gems. Because of a clerical error, Finley lives in a low-income senior housing complex, and these two ladies have become her honorary grandmothers. They tell her the truth whether she wants to hear it or not and show up for her in every way that matters. Barb is delightfully “spicy book” obsessed, while Mirna is morally opposed—creating some of the funniest banter in the book.
The character development in this story is one of its strongest elements. Alex grows tremendously—he goes from cold and prickly to vulnerable and genuinely caring. He’s been carrying a secret for years, and once he finally opens up to his family, everything makes sense. I do wish this reveal had happened earlier so we could’ve spent more time with that growth, especially since he picks a fight with a childhood friend early on and never gets the chance to make amends.
Finley is a delight—kind, hopeful, but unsure of herself. The only thing she wants out of this arrangement is her first real white Christmas, something she and her mom always dreamed of. Taking this risk is her way of honoring her mom’s wish for her to be braver and say yes to life. Her enthusiasm lights up the entire King family and pulls out a softer, long-lost side of Alex. She cherishes every moment of the magical holiday they share, but she also feels guilty deceiving his family. She makes it very clear to Alex that the only lie she’ll tell is that they’re dating; everything else has to be the truth. That’s why it hurts when Alex initially judges her job and circumstances without knowing what she’s been through. Once he learns, though, his respect deepens—and so do his feelings. Finley’s growth comes from realizing she isn’t a burden, she is wanted, and she doesn’t have to carry everything alone.
The dialogue feels refreshingly real—messy, funny, and not overly polished. There’s no actual spice, though spicy book plots are mentioned, and the overall banter is genuinely fun. One of Finley’s inner thoughts even includes the phrase “you’re just being butt hurt,” which made me laugh out loud because it felt so true-to-life. Thorne also sprinkles in tongue-in-cheek nods to classic Hallmark tropes, and those self-aware moments were an absolute delight.
There were a few minor drawbacks. Language was a little heavier than I prefer—not overly explicit, just frequent. And the ending, while charming, was predictable, especially the grand gesture. But honestly? Predictable isn’t a flaw in a holiday rom-com. It’s part of the charm.
Final Thoughts
Snow Place Like Home is everything I want in a cozy holiday romance—sweet, heartwarming, snowy, and full of characters you can root for. While the language kept this from being a five-coffee read for me, the charm, humor, character growth, and emotional beats more than make up for it. It felt familiar in the best way, like curling up with a beloved Christmas movie.
If you're craving winter magic, found family vibes, a Hallmark-worthy romance, and the rush of experiencing a first white Christmas right alongside the main character, this is one you don’t want to miss.
November 6, 2025
I am the biggest sucker for a Christmas romance! Sprinkle any amount of the Hallmark channel into a book and TAKE MY MONEY! When I got to the last few pages all I could think to myself was “Pleaseeee be a We Three Kings trilogy!” So to see that Tyler’s book is coming makes me SO happy!!!
I love Alex and Finley. I love that there wasn’t a devastating/messy third act break up. I love all of the tropes in this book. And dang it I am a sucker for a funny elderly woman side characters. We got TWO!! I ate this book up and I will be counting down the days for book 2!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love Alex and Finley. I love that there wasn’t a devastating/messy third act break up. I love all of the tropes in this book. And dang it I am a sucker for a funny elderly woman side characters. We got TWO!! I ate this book up and I will be counting down the days for book 2!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 14, 2025
Snow Place Like Home had been one of my absolute favorite holiday reads this year, and I honestly wasn’t prepared for how much this wholesome little Christmas rom-com would grab my heart. 🎄🥹✨
From the very first chapter, I was yelling at my tab because Finley and Alex were overthinking everything, and I desperately wanted them to stop dancing around their feelings and just get together already! 😭🤦♀️ Their chemistry was warm, slow-burning, and full of the cutest tension, and it made my heart flutter more times than I can count. 💞🔥
Rachel Thorne’s writing had pulled me through a roller coaster of emotions—one minute I was laughing and kicking my feet, and the next, my eyes were welling up. 😂👉👈🥹 She captured that perfect Hallmark-movie vibe, but with more depth, more heart, and characters I genuinely cared for.
Finley O’Brien completely stole my heart. 💛🌟 A hardworking sunshine girl juggling two jobs and drowning in medical debt, all she wanted was to experience the true Christmas her mom always dreamed of for her—snow, lights, cookies, magic, everything. And when Alex King offered her a wild deal—come to his hometown, pretend to be his girlfriend, and he’d give her that picture-perfect Christmas—my heart actually squeezed. 🥺🎁❄️
Alex surprised me in the best ways. He was a grumpy, logical tech CEO who only wanted to survive the holidays without ending up on a lumpy sofa surrounded by three sugar-rushed kids. 😂🍭 But Finley was nothing like the high-powered women he usually dated—she was kind, grounded, a breath of fresh winter air. Watching their friendship slowly melt into something tender and real felt like sipping hot cocoa under twinkling lights. ☕️💞🌨️
And don’t even get me STARTED on the King family. 😭❤️ They welcomed Finley with so much warmth that even I felt like part of the family—tree decorating, cookie making, Christmas markets, sleigh rides… every scene was full of cozy joy. The small town of Hollybrook had felt magical, alive, and straight-up addictive. 🎄🏘️✨
Tyler, sweet Tyler, was my unexpected fave. He was honorable, protective, and genuinely cared about Finley’s well-being. And Barb and Mirna?? MY HEART. 😭🩵 Those two iconic senior besties stole every scene they were in. Their meddling, teasing, and unconditional love made Finley feel less alone, and honestly… I want them to adopt me too. 👵🏻💙👵🏻
This book had been funny, sweet, warm, and heartbreakingly hopeful. It had felt like wrapping myself up in a blanket while snow fell outside. I loved how the emotional beats hit hard—Finley’s loneliness, Alex’s insecurities, their shared fears of not being enough… it all made their journey even more meaningful. 🥹❄️
If you love holiday romances that feel like home, this one needs to be on your list. 💖🎄
Perfect For Fans Of…
✨ Small-town holiday magic 🏘️🎄
✨ Fake dating that becomes real 💑
✨ Friends-to-lovers slow burn 🔥
✨ Found family feels ❤️
✨ Laugh-out-loud banter 😂
✨ Hallmark vibes with depth 📺✨
Snow Place Like Home had been everything I wanted in a Christmas romance—cozy, romantic, emotional, and full of sparkling holiday spirit. I didn’t want to put it down, and even after finishing, I wasn’t ready to leave Hollybrook behind. ❄️💞🎄
Thank you to the author for this beautiful ARC! 💙
From the very first chapter, I was yelling at my tab because Finley and Alex were overthinking everything, and I desperately wanted them to stop dancing around their feelings and just get together already! 😭🤦♀️ Their chemistry was warm, slow-burning, and full of the cutest tension, and it made my heart flutter more times than I can count. 💞🔥
Rachel Thorne’s writing had pulled me through a roller coaster of emotions—one minute I was laughing and kicking my feet, and the next, my eyes were welling up. 😂👉👈🥹 She captured that perfect Hallmark-movie vibe, but with more depth, more heart, and characters I genuinely cared for.
Finley O’Brien completely stole my heart. 💛🌟 A hardworking sunshine girl juggling two jobs and drowning in medical debt, all she wanted was to experience the true Christmas her mom always dreamed of for her—snow, lights, cookies, magic, everything. And when Alex King offered her a wild deal—come to his hometown, pretend to be his girlfriend, and he’d give her that picture-perfect Christmas—my heart actually squeezed. 🥺🎁❄️
Alex surprised me in the best ways. He was a grumpy, logical tech CEO who only wanted to survive the holidays without ending up on a lumpy sofa surrounded by three sugar-rushed kids. 😂🍭 But Finley was nothing like the high-powered women he usually dated—she was kind, grounded, a breath of fresh winter air. Watching their friendship slowly melt into something tender and real felt like sipping hot cocoa under twinkling lights. ☕️💞🌨️
And don’t even get me STARTED on the King family. 😭❤️ They welcomed Finley with so much warmth that even I felt like part of the family—tree decorating, cookie making, Christmas markets, sleigh rides… every scene was full of cozy joy. The small town of Hollybrook had felt magical, alive, and straight-up addictive. 🎄🏘️✨
Tyler, sweet Tyler, was my unexpected fave. He was honorable, protective, and genuinely cared about Finley’s well-being. And Barb and Mirna?? MY HEART. 😭🩵 Those two iconic senior besties stole every scene they were in. Their meddling, teasing, and unconditional love made Finley feel less alone, and honestly… I want them to adopt me too. 👵🏻💙👵🏻
This book had been funny, sweet, warm, and heartbreakingly hopeful. It had felt like wrapping myself up in a blanket while snow fell outside. I loved how the emotional beats hit hard—Finley’s loneliness, Alex’s insecurities, their shared fears of not being enough… it all made their journey even more meaningful. 🥹❄️
If you love holiday romances that feel like home, this one needs to be on your list. 💖🎄
Perfect For Fans Of…
✨ Small-town holiday magic 🏘️🎄
✨ Fake dating that becomes real 💑
✨ Friends-to-lovers slow burn 🔥
✨ Found family feels ❤️
✨ Laugh-out-loud banter 😂
✨ Hallmark vibes with depth 📺✨
Snow Place Like Home had been everything I wanted in a Christmas romance—cozy, romantic, emotional, and full of sparkling holiday spirit. I didn’t want to put it down, and even after finishing, I wasn’t ready to leave Hollybrook behind. ❄️💞🎄
Thank you to the author for this beautiful ARC! 💙
November 3, 2025
SNOW PLACE LIKE HOME by RACHEL THORNE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Snow Place Like Home is the first (#1) book in the WE THREE KINGS series
Though Finley O’Brien adores Christmas, she’s not looking forward to another year of just her, her cat her favourite Christmas movie and steak for one. She dreams of a traditional snowy Christmas and everything it entails, everything she never got to share with her beloved mum.
Alex King invests all his time goes into the tech startup he is building with his best friend. Alex has avoided Christmas with his family for the past few years but knowing how desperate his mum is to have him home this year he reluctantly agrees to go. The only problem is that as he’s single, he’s doomed to share a room with his sugar amped young relatives on a lumpy sofa bed.
When he overhears the barista at his office coffee shop say that she’ll be alone at Christmas, Alex comes up with a hair brained scheme to take Finley home to Vermont with him - ensuring she gets the Christmas she deserves and he gets to sleep in his own bed.
Reluctantly Finley agrees, after all it’s everything her late mum wanted for her, but when sparks start to fly, the pretend relationship the pair agreed on suddenly doesn’t feel so pretend anymore..
———————————————
This was my first book by Rachel Thorne.
‘Snow Place Like Home’ is a delightful Christmas romance, with all the snow, mulled wine and Christmas activities to spark your festive spirit.
Alex and Finley are an engaging couple, and though it’s a case of opposites attract, there are clearly sparks flying between them. I must admit at first I didn’t particularly like Alex and his narcissistic tendencies but as the book progressed and his character developed I came round. Alex’s family were adorable (though Grant is still has some grovelling to do!)
Finley was a wonderful character and her enjoyment of all things seasonal bled into the page. And you just can’t help but fall in love with Finley’s ‘grandmothers’ Mirna and Barb! They were hilarious!
This is a great book to start off the Christmas season and I know the other upcoming books in the ‘We Three Kings’ series will be just as great!
I read an ebook copy at around 360 pages with a delightful cover that draws you in and excellent editing. If you like no spice, gentle, snow set Christmas romance then this is the perfect read for you!
With thanks to Rachel Thorne for an early copy of this book. All comments are my own honest, unbiased opinion.
🎄Holiday Romance
🎄 Close Proximity
🎄 Rom- Com
🎄 Small Town Romance
🎄 Opposites Attract
🎄 No Spice
🎄 Grumpy / Sunshine
🎄 One Bed
🎄Fake Relationship
Snow Place Like Home is the first (#1) book in the WE THREE KINGS series
Though Finley O’Brien adores Christmas, she’s not looking forward to another year of just her, her cat her favourite Christmas movie and steak for one. She dreams of a traditional snowy Christmas and everything it entails, everything she never got to share with her beloved mum.
Alex King invests all his time goes into the tech startup he is building with his best friend. Alex has avoided Christmas with his family for the past few years but knowing how desperate his mum is to have him home this year he reluctantly agrees to go. The only problem is that as he’s single, he’s doomed to share a room with his sugar amped young relatives on a lumpy sofa bed.
When he overhears the barista at his office coffee shop say that she’ll be alone at Christmas, Alex comes up with a hair brained scheme to take Finley home to Vermont with him - ensuring she gets the Christmas she deserves and he gets to sleep in his own bed.
Reluctantly Finley agrees, after all it’s everything her late mum wanted for her, but when sparks start to fly, the pretend relationship the pair agreed on suddenly doesn’t feel so pretend anymore..
———————————————
This was my first book by Rachel Thorne.
‘Snow Place Like Home’ is a delightful Christmas romance, with all the snow, mulled wine and Christmas activities to spark your festive spirit.
Alex and Finley are an engaging couple, and though it’s a case of opposites attract, there are clearly sparks flying between them. I must admit at first I didn’t particularly like Alex and his narcissistic tendencies but as the book progressed and his character developed I came round. Alex’s family were adorable (though Grant is still has some grovelling to do!)
Finley was a wonderful character and her enjoyment of all things seasonal bled into the page. And you just can’t help but fall in love with Finley’s ‘grandmothers’ Mirna and Barb! They were hilarious!
This is a great book to start off the Christmas season and I know the other upcoming books in the ‘We Three Kings’ series will be just as great!
I read an ebook copy at around 360 pages with a delightful cover that draws you in and excellent editing. If you like no spice, gentle, snow set Christmas romance then this is the perfect read for you!
With thanks to Rachel Thorne for an early copy of this book. All comments are my own honest, unbiased opinion.
🎄Holiday Romance
🎄 Close Proximity
🎄 Rom- Com
🎄 Small Town Romance
🎄 Opposites Attract
🎄 No Spice
🎄 Grumpy / Sunshine
🎄 One Bed
🎄Fake Relationship
November 13, 2025
Love and Christmas magic
I loved, loved, loved this sweet romance. It has some of my favorite tropes - fake relationship and opposites attract set in a small town during the holidays - so I was prepared to love the swoons and storyline. But I was not prepared for the level of big emotions wrapped up in this heartwarming love story. Ooof. Expect to feel all the things reading Alex and Finley’s story - laughing, crying, teeth gritting, annoyed sighing, swooning, and cheering. It’ll break your heart and put it back together in the very best way. Finley is a 25 yo college student who supports herself working as a barista and a phlebotomist. She is happy, warm and caring. She also loves Christmas but since her mother’s death six years ago, her life has become work and little fun. Alex is a venture capitalist who works in the same building as the coffee shop where Finley works. He is a workaholic and has been avoiding his family for reasons. When Alex learns he’ll be relegated to the basement sofabed for the family holiday trip since he’s single, Finley agrees to travel with him to Vermont as his “girlfriend.” Alex gets the bed in a bedroom and Finley can get the white family Christmas she always dreamed of. Finley and Alex are friendly in the way that someone is with a warm and engaging barista that you see everyday and are attracted to but they are not true friends. Cue the crash course of getting to know you and trying to figure out how to fake it in a believable way in front of an audience. Of course, feelings never stay in the box we assign them to and soon there are all kinds of feelings between them. To get to their HEA there will need to be truth telling, baggage unpacking, and leaps of faith. I loved Finley’s delight in all things Christmas, their internal feelings dilemmas, and Finley’s adopted grandmas. The story was well written and the characters three dimensional. As a result, I was completely engrossed in their journey from awkward to real which made this book so hard to put down. And now my heart is so happy from all the love, all the family, and all the holiday goodness. I am excited to read the next King family story.
I loved, loved, loved this sweet romance. It has some of my favorite tropes - fake relationship and opposites attract set in a small town during the holidays - so I was prepared to love the swoons and storyline. But I was not prepared for the level of big emotions wrapped up in this heartwarming love story. Ooof. Expect to feel all the things reading Alex and Finley’s story - laughing, crying, teeth gritting, annoyed sighing, swooning, and cheering. It’ll break your heart and put it back together in the very best way. Finley is a 25 yo college student who supports herself working as a barista and a phlebotomist. She is happy, warm and caring. She also loves Christmas but since her mother’s death six years ago, her life has become work and little fun. Alex is a venture capitalist who works in the same building as the coffee shop where Finley works. He is a workaholic and has been avoiding his family for reasons. When Alex learns he’ll be relegated to the basement sofabed for the family holiday trip since he’s single, Finley agrees to travel with him to Vermont as his “girlfriend.” Alex gets the bed in a bedroom and Finley can get the white family Christmas she always dreamed of. Finley and Alex are friendly in the way that someone is with a warm and engaging barista that you see everyday and are attracted to but they are not true friends. Cue the crash course of getting to know you and trying to figure out how to fake it in a believable way in front of an audience. Of course, feelings never stay in the box we assign them to and soon there are all kinds of feelings between them. To get to their HEA there will need to be truth telling, baggage unpacking, and leaps of faith. I loved Finley’s delight in all things Christmas, their internal feelings dilemmas, and Finley’s adopted grandmas. The story was well written and the characters three dimensional. As a result, I was completely engrossed in their journey from awkward to real which made this book so hard to put down. And now my heart is so happy from all the love, all the family, and all the holiday goodness. I am excited to read the next King family story.
November 10, 2025
ARC Review ✨️
Found family | Fake Dating | Small Town | Holiday Romance |
There’s just something about holiday romances that gets me right in my feels 🥺 The festive cheer, the family vibes, the cozy small towns. Snow Place Like Home has all of that in spades.
Finley was such a joy to read 😍... Sweet, kind, and so full of Christmas spirit that you can’t help but grin with secondhand joy. Barb and Mirna had me laughing so hard with their paranoia and love for smutty reads, I could barely breathe! And the Kings family were absolutely adorable. (Not you, Grant! 🙄)
The romance, however, didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I think the author did too good a job with Alex and his douchebag-ness. His whole “I don’t date women who aren’t businesswomen or who didn’t go to college” attitude really irked me, and I struggled to get behind his so-called redemption arc. Honestly, I wanted to punch him in the face for how many times he hurt poor Finley’s feelings (because how dare he?? I adored her! 🥺)
While I understood the reasons behind him abandoning his family, it didn’t explain his narcissistic behavior or his complete assholery toward Finley, especially knowing how much Christmas meant to her. After that, it was kinda hard to root for their romance. Tyler, though? Now there’s a man after my own heart. If Tyler and Finley had been the endgame, I would’ve been swooning. Thoughtful, protective, and definitely giving off “touch her and die” vibes (that’s the kind of quiet, genuine love Finley deserved.)
Honestly, the real love story here was between Myrna, Bob, and Finley! Their found-family bond melted my heart, and their fierce loyalty and protection over Finley definitely brought a few tears to my eyes.
Overall, it’s a really sweet holiday read, filled with fake dating, found family, and small-town charm. While the romance didn’t entirely click for me, I have no doubt many readers will be swept up in both the love story and the festive magic. ✨
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author for the opportunity.
Found family | Fake Dating | Small Town | Holiday Romance |
There’s just something about holiday romances that gets me right in my feels 🥺 The festive cheer, the family vibes, the cozy small towns. Snow Place Like Home has all of that in spades.
Finley was such a joy to read 😍... Sweet, kind, and so full of Christmas spirit that you can’t help but grin with secondhand joy. Barb and Mirna had me laughing so hard with their paranoia and love for smutty reads, I could barely breathe! And the Kings family were absolutely adorable. (Not you, Grant! 🙄)
The romance, however, didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I think the author did too good a job with Alex and his douchebag-ness. His whole “I don’t date women who aren’t businesswomen or who didn’t go to college” attitude really irked me, and I struggled to get behind his so-called redemption arc. Honestly, I wanted to punch him in the face for how many times he hurt poor Finley’s feelings (because how dare he?? I adored her! 🥺)
While I understood the reasons behind him abandoning his family, it didn’t explain his narcissistic behavior or his complete assholery toward Finley, especially knowing how much Christmas meant to her. After that, it was kinda hard to root for their romance. Tyler, though? Now there’s a man after my own heart. If Tyler and Finley had been the endgame, I would’ve been swooning. Thoughtful, protective, and definitely giving off “touch her and die” vibes (that’s the kind of quiet, genuine love Finley deserved.)
Honestly, the real love story here was between Myrna, Bob, and Finley! Their found-family bond melted my heart, and their fierce loyalty and protection over Finley definitely brought a few tears to my eyes.
Overall, it’s a really sweet holiday read, filled with fake dating, found family, and small-town charm. While the romance didn’t entirely click for me, I have no doubt many readers will be swept up in both the love story and the festive magic. ✨
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author for the opportunity.
December 7, 2025
While Alex is getting his caffeine fix, his brother sends a text that he's bringing his girlfriend home for Christmas and relegating Alex to the rec room sofa bed - and he'll be sharing that room with three poorly behaved kids. Alex's business partner tries to convince him to just cancel and dedicate his time to their start up. When that doesn't work, he suggests that Alex take the gorgeous barista Finley to pretend to be his girlfriend. Finley and her late mother had dreams of visiting a place at Christmas that would give them the snowy, magical Christmas experience that couldn't be had in Georgia. She knows it's crazy to take Alex up on his offer, but he agrees to pay her for her lost wages and to sign a contract to outline the expectations. She is nothing like the women Alex normally dates, but he knows his family will love her. His brothers; however, are incredibly suspicious of their relationship.
This is told from the POVs of both Finley and Alex so the reader is aware that they are each attracted to the other, but the characters aren't sure if it's real or pretend. The King family (with the exception of the brother who gets the sofa bed) are such a joy! They welcome Finley with open arms and are so kind to her. She lives in a lower-income elderly complex and has two surrogate grandmothers who are absolutely hysterical. They also love her and are who she calls whenever she's feeling down or confused. They add a lot of humor to the story. There isn't any spice in the book and the story doesn't need it. What I wasn't prepared for was the emotions - after Alex's younger brother Grant shows up, there is anger, heartbreak, and plenty of heartstring pulling. I am really excited about the books coming for the other brothers and hope that their sister gets one too.
This is told from the POVs of both Finley and Alex so the reader is aware that they are each attracted to the other, but the characters aren't sure if it's real or pretend. The King family (with the exception of the brother who gets the sofa bed) are such a joy! They welcome Finley with open arms and are so kind to her. She lives in a lower-income elderly complex and has two surrogate grandmothers who are absolutely hysterical. They also love her and are who she calls whenever she's feeling down or confused. They add a lot of humor to the story. There isn't any spice in the book and the story doesn't need it. What I wasn't prepared for was the emotions - after Alex's younger brother Grant shows up, there is anger, heartbreak, and plenty of heartstring pulling. I am really excited about the books coming for the other brothers and hope that their sister gets one too.
December 1, 2025
A cute, cozy holiday romance with total Hallmark vibes!
This book was such a sweet surprise. Alex grew up in one of those small Hallmark-style Christmas towns, and when he finds out that showing up single to his family holiday means getting stuck on a sofa bed in a room with his aunt’s three feral grandchildren, he panics in the most relatable way. His solution? Convince Finley to pretend to be his girlfriend so he can snag a real bed—and in return, she finally gets the kind of warm, magical Christmas she’s always dreamed of.
Finley is an incredibly relatable heroine. She’s dealt with so much: losing her mom, taking on medical debt, and working two jobs to get herself through college. You really feel for her, and it’s easy to root for her happiness. Alex also grows a lot throughout the book, and I liked the slow hints about something from his past shaping who he is now. When the book finally reveals what happened, it feels meaningful.
The side characters really shine, especially Finley’s “grandmas.” They’re funny, supportive, and full of personality, and I loved the little references to other books one of them had read—it added a charming layer for fellow readers.
Alex’s family as a whole is wonderful, with one big exception: Grant. I never warmed up to him, and his treatment of Finley felt downright rude. On the flip side, Tyler was such a sweetheart, even though he was always suspicious of Alex and Finley’s “relationship.” I honestly can’t wait for his book—he deserves his own story.
Overall, this is a cute, easy holiday read with plenty of heart, humor, and small-town Christmas magic. Perfect if you love Hallmark-style romances.
This book was such a sweet surprise. Alex grew up in one of those small Hallmark-style Christmas towns, and when he finds out that showing up single to his family holiday means getting stuck on a sofa bed in a room with his aunt’s three feral grandchildren, he panics in the most relatable way. His solution? Convince Finley to pretend to be his girlfriend so he can snag a real bed—and in return, she finally gets the kind of warm, magical Christmas she’s always dreamed of.
Finley is an incredibly relatable heroine. She’s dealt with so much: losing her mom, taking on medical debt, and working two jobs to get herself through college. You really feel for her, and it’s easy to root for her happiness. Alex also grows a lot throughout the book, and I liked the slow hints about something from his past shaping who he is now. When the book finally reveals what happened, it feels meaningful.
The side characters really shine, especially Finley’s “grandmas.” They’re funny, supportive, and full of personality, and I loved the little references to other books one of them had read—it added a charming layer for fellow readers.
Alex’s family as a whole is wonderful, with one big exception: Grant. I never warmed up to him, and his treatment of Finley felt downright rude. On the flip side, Tyler was such a sweetheart, even though he was always suspicious of Alex and Finley’s “relationship.” I honestly can’t wait for his book—he deserves his own story.
Overall, this is a cute, easy holiday read with plenty of heart, humor, and small-town Christmas magic. Perfect if you love Hallmark-style romances.
November 14, 2025
ARC Review 4.5 ⭐️
Snow Place Like Home feels like a Hallmark movie in book form. It has everything you could want in a holiday romance: a dreamy small town, hilarious grandmas, complicated family dynamics and heartfelt moments. Despite her circumstances, Finley is passionate, kind, hardworking and one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. She is pure joy and always seems to have a way with people. Alex is driven, focused but perhaps a little too focused on his own goals and priorities. However, there is something about Finley that makes Alex want to be different. When Alex "hires" Finley to be his fake girlfriend, Alex and Finley must navigate not only the holidays but their relationship as well.
I absolutely adored this book and I still can't believe this is Rachel Thornes debut novel.I really loved how both Finley and Alex were portrayed and I felt their struggles are applicable to a lot of people. There was this romantic tension from the moment they met which blossoms into a whirlwind romance. One thing I loved was how Finley shows Alex through her actions the importance of seeing others for who they are. Alex grew so much as a person and it was sweet seeing him open up to her, himself and his family. Alex's siblings were great support characters and I am really hoping that all of them will get stories in the future!
This story was a beautiful story full of humor, forgiveness and love. If you need a charming, low spice christmas story, then this one is for you.
Snow Place Like Home feels like a Hallmark movie in book form. It has everything you could want in a holiday romance: a dreamy small town, hilarious grandmas, complicated family dynamics and heartfelt moments. Despite her circumstances, Finley is passionate, kind, hardworking and one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. She is pure joy and always seems to have a way with people. Alex is driven, focused but perhaps a little too focused on his own goals and priorities. However, there is something about Finley that makes Alex want to be different. When Alex "hires" Finley to be his fake girlfriend, Alex and Finley must navigate not only the holidays but their relationship as well.
I absolutely adored this book and I still can't believe this is Rachel Thornes debut novel.I really loved how both Finley and Alex were portrayed and I felt their struggles are applicable to a lot of people. There was this romantic tension from the moment they met which blossoms into a whirlwind romance. One thing I loved was how Finley shows Alex through her actions the importance of seeing others for who they are. Alex grew so much as a person and it was sweet seeing him open up to her, himself and his family. Alex's siblings were great support characters and I am really hoping that all of them will get stories in the future!
This story was a beautiful story full of humor, forgiveness and love. If you need a charming, low spice christmas story, then this one is for you.
November 6, 2025
“You’ve been the joy of my life, Fin. But you can’t always play it safe. Sometimes joy isn’t in the safe places. Sometimes you have to take risks to find it. You have to be impulsive.”
This line is still echoing in my heart.
Snow Place Like Home by Rachel Thorne was a unusual arc read for me, but based on the description i was hooked. I downloaded it, started reading, and I swear I blinked and suddenly hours had passed and I had completely abandoned every adult responsibility I was supposed to be doing. And honestly? No regrets.
This book had me laughing out loud one second and teary-eyed the next. It’s so easy to fall in love with Fin and the world Rachel created — the banter, the warmth, the messy vulnerability — it just felt real in the most comforting way. And listen… I am usually deep in the dark romance trenches. Like, the darker the better. But this? This sweet, heart-tugging rom-com absolutely wrecked me in the best way. I didn’t just read it — I devoured it. Devoured it like I was starving and this story was the only thing that could fill me.
I’m still processing how much this book made me feel. The characters were so vivid, and don’t even get me started on the brothers — if this ever turns into a series following each of their stories (plus Mallory!!!) I will be first in line throwing my money with zero hesitation.
Rachel Thorne… you did that.
Warm, funny, touching, and joyful — this book is everything I needed and more.
This line is still echoing in my heart.
Snow Place Like Home by Rachel Thorne was a unusual arc read for me, but based on the description i was hooked. I downloaded it, started reading, and I swear I blinked and suddenly hours had passed and I had completely abandoned every adult responsibility I was supposed to be doing. And honestly? No regrets.
This book had me laughing out loud one second and teary-eyed the next. It’s so easy to fall in love with Fin and the world Rachel created — the banter, the warmth, the messy vulnerability — it just felt real in the most comforting way. And listen… I am usually deep in the dark romance trenches. Like, the darker the better. But this? This sweet, heart-tugging rom-com absolutely wrecked me in the best way. I didn’t just read it — I devoured it. Devoured it like I was starving and this story was the only thing that could fill me.
I’m still processing how much this book made me feel. The characters were so vivid, and don’t even get me started on the brothers — if this ever turns into a series following each of their stories (plus Mallory!!!) I will be first in line throwing my money with zero hesitation.
Rachel Thorne… you did that.
Warm, funny, touching, and joyful — this book is everything I needed and more.
November 11, 2025
If you’re looking for a cozy, heartwarming Christmas romance, Snow Place Like Home is pure magic. ❄️💖
Finley stole my heart—she’s sweet, selfless, and compassionate, trying to juggle multiple jobs and massive medical debt while still finding ways to make others happy. Her life is lonely, but her spirit is bright, and you can’t help but root for her every step of the way.
Then there’s Alex—successful, well-put-together, but with a streak of selfishness that has cost him relationships and happiness. He’s hiding a big secret that’s shaped his self-sabotaging ways, and watching him slowly rediscover joy and the importance of family through Finley is beautiful. Their banter, slow-burn tension, and the little moments of kindness they share make their romance feel genuine and satisfying.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a romance without drama—Alex’s brother Grant ultimately sabotages everything, forcing Alex to come clean about both his secret and his agreement with Finley. But the found-family vibes in this book are everything. From Alex’s adoring mom and sister to Finley’s “adopted grandmas,” the way Thorne writes connection and love will warm even the coldest winter day.
If you’re a fan of contemporary romance with holiday cheer, slow-burn tension, witty banter, and the comforting feeling of belonging, this book was written for you. I laughed, swooned, and even got a little emotional once or twice. It’s everything I want in a Christmas romance.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Definitely recommend!
Finley stole my heart—she’s sweet, selfless, and compassionate, trying to juggle multiple jobs and massive medical debt while still finding ways to make others happy. Her life is lonely, but her spirit is bright, and you can’t help but root for her every step of the way.
Then there’s Alex—successful, well-put-together, but with a streak of selfishness that has cost him relationships and happiness. He’s hiding a big secret that’s shaped his self-sabotaging ways, and watching him slowly rediscover joy and the importance of family through Finley is beautiful. Their banter, slow-burn tension, and the little moments of kindness they share make their romance feel genuine and satisfying.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a romance without drama—Alex’s brother Grant ultimately sabotages everything, forcing Alex to come clean about both his secret and his agreement with Finley. But the found-family vibes in this book are everything. From Alex’s adoring mom and sister to Finley’s “adopted grandmas,” the way Thorne writes connection and love will warm even the coldest winter day.
If you’re a fan of contemporary romance with holiday cheer, slow-burn tension, witty banter, and the comforting feeling of belonging, this book was written for you. I laughed, swooned, and even got a little emotional once or twice. It’s everything I want in a Christmas romance.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Definitely recommend!
November 13, 2025
Wonderful Holiday Story
Finley and her mother had always wanted a real snowy Christmas like in the Hallmark movies. But that was hard to have in Georgia. Finley's mother had unexpectedly died from cancer and wanted Finley to "take chances" to be happy. She's working as a barista on the first floor of a business complex to help pay for her nursing studies and has no time for anything else. Alex is a start-up owner trying to get his business off the ground. It's the week before Christmas and he's planning to go home to Vermont. He gets word that his brother is bringing his girlfriend so they'll get his and Alex's bedroom leaving Alex in the basement with younger cousins. Alex complains to his partner who comes up with the idea to pay Finley to be his fake girlfriend. Alex is skeptical but asks Finley explaining everything and offers to pay for whatever wages she'll lose and the main selling point would be the snowy Christmas she's always dreamed of and taking a real chance like her mother wanted for her. Alex's family falls in love with Finley and love the changes she's made in Alex. Will the fake relationship become real? Will everyone find out about the fake relationship? This book had me laughing and tearing up throughout the book. I loved Finley's adopted grandmothers and how they took care of her. This is a wonderful book and I'm looking forward to the next book. I just wish that it wasn't so far away.
Finley and her mother had always wanted a real snowy Christmas like in the Hallmark movies. But that was hard to have in Georgia. Finley's mother had unexpectedly died from cancer and wanted Finley to "take chances" to be happy. She's working as a barista on the first floor of a business complex to help pay for her nursing studies and has no time for anything else. Alex is a start-up owner trying to get his business off the ground. It's the week before Christmas and he's planning to go home to Vermont. He gets word that his brother is bringing his girlfriend so they'll get his and Alex's bedroom leaving Alex in the basement with younger cousins. Alex complains to his partner who comes up with the idea to pay Finley to be his fake girlfriend. Alex is skeptical but asks Finley explaining everything and offers to pay for whatever wages she'll lose and the main selling point would be the snowy Christmas she's always dreamed of and taking a real chance like her mother wanted for her. Alex's family falls in love with Finley and love the changes she's made in Alex. Will the fake relationship become real? Will everyone find out about the fake relationship? This book had me laughing and tearing up throughout the book. I loved Finley's adopted grandmothers and how they took care of her. This is a wonderful book and I'm looking forward to the next book. I just wish that it wasn't so far away.
November 14, 2025
All I want for Christmas...is a story exactly like Alex and Finley's!
SNOW PLACE LIKE HOME was the cozy, quirky, cute as hell, holiday romance everyone wants to read in a season filled with love, and a lot of magic . You want to feel that giddy smile quirk up your lips as they have those moments of 'oh crap I think this is actually happening' and you want to kick your feet as they see the light in each other's eyes when the happiness hits. That feeling that's warmth, hope, and maybe a little bit of blurry eyes because you can feel the love in the pages.
Idk man, I'm a sap this time of year and this book did it for me and my emotions.
What starts out as an agreement that Alex needs to bring a girlfriend home for Christmas to the quintessential Christmas town of Hollybrook, turns into that perfect Hallmark kind of love-story. Except it's not a cheesy - it's better. Don't get me wrong - there are still plenty of cute, sweet, cliche moments of what makes the holiday season so festive in romance stories, but it's done with such tender loving care that it's superior to Hallmark in every way. It reminds me of the arranged marriage trope that ends up as the prettiest love story you can't help but hope for their inevitable happy ending the whole way through.
From the start at the cafe to the end I won't spoil, this was the perfect cozy romance to start my holiday season. Bravo, Rachel and thank you to Crowns & Chaos for the ARC!
SNOW PLACE LIKE HOME was the cozy, quirky, cute as hell, holiday romance everyone wants to read in a season filled with love, and a lot of magic . You want to feel that giddy smile quirk up your lips as they have those moments of 'oh crap I think this is actually happening' and you want to kick your feet as they see the light in each other's eyes when the happiness hits. That feeling that's warmth, hope, and maybe a little bit of blurry eyes because you can feel the love in the pages.
Idk man, I'm a sap this time of year and this book did it for me and my emotions.
What starts out as an agreement that Alex needs to bring a girlfriend home for Christmas to the quintessential Christmas town of Hollybrook, turns into that perfect Hallmark kind of love-story. Except it's not a cheesy - it's better. Don't get me wrong - there are still plenty of cute, sweet, cliche moments of what makes the holiday season so festive in romance stories, but it's done with such tender loving care that it's superior to Hallmark in every way. It reminds me of the arranged marriage trope that ends up as the prettiest love story you can't help but hope for their inevitable happy ending the whole way through.
From the start at the cafe to the end I won't spoil, this was the perfect cozy romance to start my holiday season. Bravo, Rachel and thank you to Crowns & Chaos for the ARC!
November 22, 2025
I was lucky enough to receive an Arc of this book and I honestly went into it blind. The only thing I knew was that it included some of my favorite tropes. And I have to say it did not disappoint! This book was like a warm Christmas hug! It follows Finley, a barista/phlebotomist who hasn't had the easiest life. She has experience loss and hardship but still remains so kind and puts everyone above herself. And then there is Alex, who at first glance comes across as spoiled and arrogant. But he also has experienced loss. In the beginning I thought he was kind of a jerk but his story that he shares towards the end will break your heart for him. Alex is headed home for Christmas after being gone for so long and he needs a fake girlfriend so that he doesn't get stuck sleeping on the sofa bed with his cousins. And who else would he ask but his barista that he barely knows! He promises her that he will provide a magical Christmas in exchange for her being his fake girlfriend and she agrees. And thus begins their story! This book had it all. Banter that will make you laugh out loud. Fake dating, small town romance, found family. Probably one of the best Christmas books I have read in a long time. And there isn't even any spice. Why? Because it doesn't need it! It is truly that good! I loved everything about this book! The characters, their story, all of it was beautiful! Don't wait! Add this book to your December TBR! It is a must!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews