What do you think?
Rate this book
Mint to Be
Pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate and settle into the holiday spirit with this sweet and cozy winter romance by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc, author of the hit Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice! Perfect for fans of holiday rom-coms and Gilmore Girls.
It’s been eight months since seventeen-year-old Emma left the quaint town of Briar Glen to attend boarding school in New York City. Now, she’s back—and she’s not Her new boyfriend, Sam, has come to visit the most picturesque village in New England during the most magical time of the year.
But there’s a chill in the air, and not just because it’s winter. Emma’s best friend, Aiden, isn’t all too happy to see her after she left without so much as a goodbye. He and Emma have known each other since elementary school, and they used to do everything together. They even share a favorite a peppermint hot chocolate from their favorite coffee shop, Cup o’ Jo. This was where Emma first told Aiden she was thinking of leaving Briar Glen. It was also where Aiden had planned to confess his growing feelings for Emma -- before she showed him her acceptance letter and everything changed.
With Emma back in the picture -- and with a new boyfriend in tow -- will she and Aiden be able to break the ice?
It’s been eight months since seventeen-year-old Emma left the quaint town of Briar Glen to attend boarding school in New York City. Now, she’s back—and she’s not Her new boyfriend, Sam, has come to visit the most picturesque village in New England during the most magical time of the year.
But there’s a chill in the air, and not just because it’s winter. Emma’s best friend, Aiden, isn’t all too happy to see her after she left without so much as a goodbye. He and Emma have known each other since elementary school, and they used to do everything together. They even share a favorite a peppermint hot chocolate from their favorite coffee shop, Cup o’ Jo. This was where Emma first told Aiden she was thinking of leaving Briar Glen. It was also where Aiden had planned to confess his growing feelings for Emma -- before she showed him her acceptance letter and everything changed.
With Emma back in the picture -- and with a new boyfriend in tow -- will she and Aiden be able to break the ice?
304 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2025
454 people are currently reading
4160 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 328 reviews
November 27, 2025
⋆˚꩜｡𐔌՞. 2.5 stars .՞𐦯⋆. 𐙚 ˚
this feels like every other ya romance and not in a good way 😭
this feels like every other ya romance and not in a good way 😭
September 2, 2025
Yay! A new YA Christmas book!!! 🎄🎅
And what a long wait it has been!!!
I love Christmas books, but there is a shortage of YA Christmas books out there, so I am always excited for a new one to come out. It’s been a few years now so we were long overdue for some YA Christmas vibes.
And this book delivered!!! It was so cute and Christmassy!!!
This is definitely a book that will leave you craving the mint hot chocolate that Emma and Aiden always ordered together. I also loved the Christmas vibes of the small town.
The story wasn’t just about coming home for Christmas though. It was a nice story about growing up and the worries about growing apart from friends.
The relationship is friends to more which was really sweet, especially since it was told in the present and the past so you could really see a connection between them over the years. It was more focused on the relationship than Christmas overall, but the Christmas season was a perfect backdrop to the story and there was still plenty of festive fun.
This book was basically a YA version of a Hallmark Christmas movie and I loved every second of it! This author is a talented seasonal reader. I would love a new Christmas book by her every year!!!
And that cover is adorable too!!!
And what a long wait it has been!!!
I love Christmas books, but there is a shortage of YA Christmas books out there, so I am always excited for a new one to come out. It’s been a few years now so we were long overdue for some YA Christmas vibes.
And this book delivered!!! It was so cute and Christmassy!!!
This is definitely a book that will leave you craving the mint hot chocolate that Emma and Aiden always ordered together. I also loved the Christmas vibes of the small town.
The story wasn’t just about coming home for Christmas though. It was a nice story about growing up and the worries about growing apart from friends.
The relationship is friends to more which was really sweet, especially since it was told in the present and the past so you could really see a connection between them over the years. It was more focused on the relationship than Christmas overall, but the Christmas season was a perfect backdrop to the story and there was still plenty of festive fun.
This book was basically a YA version of a Hallmark Christmas movie and I loved every second of it! This author is a talented seasonal reader. I would love a new Christmas book by her every year!!!
And that cover is adorable too!!!
dnf
November 27, 2025dnf@26%
I did not realize this was YA, which doesn’t make a huge difference to me, I don’t mind reading YA but my god this was so boring, I could not get into the story
I did not realize this was YA, which doesn’t make a huge difference to me, I don’t mind reading YA but my god this was so boring, I could not get into the story
December 26, 2025
❄️❤️”Mint To Be”💚🎄
4⭐️
This book was SO much better than “Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice” A few of the reasons were…
1. The couple ACTUALLY got together, they didn’t flirt one day and act like they DIDN’T like each other the next day!!🙄😒
2. The Christmas vibes were amazing!!💚❤️ This one actually gave more Gilmore Girls vibes than the first one. Which is pretty surprising because the first book was a fall themed book and Gilmore Girls is more fall-ish.
3. I surprisingly wasn’t annoyed with the Emma(FMC). She was actually a really good, sweet and smart character and I loved her WAY more than Lucy from the first book Lucy was just………annoying🫣
4. I know I made it sound like I hated the characters from the first book, but I when it showed Lucy and Jack officially together…I squealed 😆
5. I LOVED Mackerel, he was so cute! I just wanted to squeeze him!!🥹💗*also for context Mackerel is a dog😂*
So this was a very cute read for Christmas and I definitely recommend if you need a good, clean and short Christmas read!!😊💗🎄
4⭐️
This book was SO much better than “Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice” A few of the reasons were…
1. The couple ACTUALLY got together, they didn’t flirt one day and act like they DIDN’T like each other the next day!!🙄😒
2. The Christmas vibes were amazing!!💚❤️ This one actually gave more Gilmore Girls vibes than the first one. Which is pretty surprising because the first book was a fall themed book and Gilmore Girls is more fall-ish.
3. I surprisingly wasn’t annoyed with the Emma(FMC). She was actually a really good, sweet and smart character and I loved her WAY more than Lucy from the first book Lucy was just………annoying🫣
4. I know I made it sound like I hated the characters from the first book, but I when it showed Lucy and Jack officially together…I squealed 😆
5. I LOVED Mackerel, he was so cute! I just wanted to squeeze him!!🥹💗*also for context Mackerel is a dog😂*
So this was a very cute read for Christmas and I definitely recommend if you need a good, clean and short Christmas read!!😊💗🎄
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2025
˗ˏˋ꒰🎄꒱ 𝟏 𝐒𝘁𝗮𝗿
↠━༻◆༺━↞
ᴺᵒʷ ᵖˡᵃʸᶦⁿᵍ; [ 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝘽𝙚 ] [ 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶-𝗞𝘂𝗰 ]
1:07 ——◦———— -4:05
↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ
» 。° .•☕ ༄
When I first received the arc, I was really excited about the premise. Tension between best friends and then a boyfriend as well? And also set during Christmas? I thought that I would really enjoy Mint to Be, but it's not the book for me.
༄ ⭐ .• ° 。«
Everything in this novel to me fell flat. The plot pacing was way off, and the romance isn't believable. The romance between Emma and Aiden doesn't actually start developing until 70% of the way through the story, and that's when it's first stated that Emma has feelings for Aiden. Aiden, we find out early on. I also can't see how Aiden would like Emma because she was pretty rude to him when she told him she was leaving for New York. Of course, he's going to be sad that's his best friend is leaving!
» 。° .• ☕ ༄
The writing was the biggest deal breaker for me, and it's really one thing that did it. I kid you not, there were more than one exclamation point on every page. Every page in places they weren't supposed to be. I saw so many exclamation points that I started focusing on that and not the story.
.。༅:*ﾟ𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ꒱
🎁 ·˚ 𝗘𝗺𝗺𝗮 ˊˎ
༻————↠
Emma is one of those characters that only thinks positively. She also always plans her future and desires to get out of her town to explore the world. She is always late to meetings, and I noticed that she spews fun facts when she's nervous or excited. All of this is sweet, but Emma doesn't act like a 17-year-old girl to me. She acted more like she was in middle school, which we get povs from, and I don't see her shift in personality at all, even when she was in elementary school.
🎁 ·˚ 𝗔𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻 ˊˎ
༺————↞
If I see Aiden mention one more time about how "it's how my family is" I will go crazy. He repeated three lines without fail that I was beginning to think he was a robot. I wish that Aiden had more character to him than just liking Emma and being involved in the family business. There was so much potential with him that was just lost. He also forgave Emma WAY too quickly in my opinion and doesn't have that slow to trust arc that typically happens in these types of situations.
↠━ ☕ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ━↞
Overall, I am disappointed with this story. I wish the romance had more development and that Aiden was slower to forgive Emma. Emma not acting her age also threw me off and Aiden not really having a purpose in the story. I just wish there was more to the story that I could connect with but this story wasn't for me.
🎄 ––––———–––––———–┊༄
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc copy!
» 。° .• 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 ༄
༻————↠
I received the arc a month ago but life has been busy, so I'm just now getting to it!
↠━༻◆༺━↞
ᴺᵒʷ ᵖˡᵃʸᶦⁿᵍ; [ 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝘽𝙚 ] [ 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶-𝗞𝘂𝗰 ]
1:07 ——◦———— -4:05
↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ
» 。° .•☕ ༄
When I first received the arc, I was really excited about the premise. Tension between best friends and then a boyfriend as well? And also set during Christmas? I thought that I would really enjoy Mint to Be, but it's not the book for me.
༄ ⭐ .• ° 。«
Everything in this novel to me fell flat. The plot pacing was way off, and the romance isn't believable. The romance between Emma and Aiden doesn't actually start developing until 70% of the way through the story, and that's when it's first stated that Emma has feelings for Aiden. Aiden, we find out early on. I also can't see how Aiden would like Emma because she was pretty rude to him when she told him she was leaving for New York. Of course, he's going to be sad that's his best friend is leaving!
» 。° .• ☕ ༄
The writing was the biggest deal breaker for me, and it's really one thing that did it. I kid you not, there were more than one exclamation point on every page. Every page in places they weren't supposed to be. I saw so many exclamation points that I started focusing on that and not the story.
.。༅:*ﾟ𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ꒱
🎁 ·˚ 𝗘𝗺𝗺𝗮 ˊˎ
༻————↠
Emma is one of those characters that only thinks positively. She also always plans her future and desires to get out of her town to explore the world. She is always late to meetings, and I noticed that she spews fun facts when she's nervous or excited. All of this is sweet, but Emma doesn't act like a 17-year-old girl to me. She acted more like she was in middle school, which we get povs from, and I don't see her shift in personality at all, even when she was in elementary school.
🎁 ·˚ 𝗔𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻 ˊˎ
༺————↞
If I see Aiden mention one more time about how "it's how my family is" I will go crazy. He repeated three lines without fail that I was beginning to think he was a robot. I wish that Aiden had more character to him than just liking Emma and being involved in the family business. There was so much potential with him that was just lost. He also forgave Emma WAY too quickly in my opinion and doesn't have that slow to trust arc that typically happens in these types of situations.
↠━ ☕ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ━↞
Overall, I am disappointed with this story. I wish the romance had more development and that Aiden was slower to forgive Emma. Emma not acting her age also threw me off and Aiden not really having a purpose in the story. I just wish there was more to the story that I could connect with but this story wasn't for me.
🎄 ––––———–––––———–┊༄
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc copy!
» 。° .• 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 ༄
༻————↠
I received the arc a month ago but life has been busy, so I'm just now getting to it!
October 27, 2025
A cute, YA second chance, holiday small town romance that has a college freshman coming home for Christmas with her big city boyfriend only to have to confront her feelings for her childhood sweetheart and the one she left behind. This was charming but nothing super standout for me. A lighthearted read that was low on angst and high on drama and perfect for fans of authors like Lynn Painter.
July 4, 2025
How cute is this cover?! Also, scratch and sniff, tehe, brings me back to the 90s. Katie Cicatelli-Kuc’s Mint to Be, is a cozy, heart-warming read and that I had the honor to read for an honest review. Set in the picture-perfect Briar Glen during good ol’ Christmas time (I’m a sucker for a Christmas romance read), we’re introduced to 17-year-old Emma and Aiden. Emma is returning home from her boarding school in NYC and she decided to bring her boyfriend Sam with her. Maybe not the best time to bring the new boy home, especially when your best friend who you definitely have feelings for but left behind without a goodbye is going to be around.
The book transitions from past to present, allowing us to see Emma and Aiden’s beginning stages of friendship, eventually leading to them slowing developing feelings for one another. Most of their interactions are tied to their love of peppermint hot chocolate and their favorite place, Cup o’ Jo. Which reads like it’s such a charming place. This book is full of holiday festivities, Christmas magic and small-town charm with a smidgen of teenage drama and angst. This book also falls into the second chance romance meets best friends to lovers trope (but make it PG-13, this is YA after all, hahaha).
Biggest issue with this book was Emma, haha, that sounds terrible but girlie was just too much. She’s barely old enough to vote and she’s like I want out of this adorable little town and dips the minute she gets the chance. But throughout all of the flashback chapters, she doesn’t stop. It’s constantly…this New York…that New York, all right we get it, you want out. But it’s sad because the town is so perfect, her family is sweet as heck and she has this perfect guy who practically fawns over her. But I guess, to each their own, haha. Overall, it was a sweet and easy read, one I hope that everyone enjoys once it’s released.
Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher.
4 stars!
The book transitions from past to present, allowing us to see Emma and Aiden’s beginning stages of friendship, eventually leading to them slowing developing feelings for one another. Most of their interactions are tied to their love of peppermint hot chocolate and their favorite place, Cup o’ Jo. Which reads like it’s such a charming place. This book is full of holiday festivities, Christmas magic and small-town charm with a smidgen of teenage drama and angst. This book also falls into the second chance romance meets best friends to lovers trope (but make it PG-13, this is YA after all, hahaha).
Biggest issue with this book was Emma, haha, that sounds terrible but girlie was just too much. She’s barely old enough to vote and she’s like I want out of this adorable little town and dips the minute she gets the chance. But throughout all of the flashback chapters, she doesn’t stop. It’s constantly…this New York…that New York, all right we get it, you want out. But it’s sad because the town is so perfect, her family is sweet as heck and she has this perfect guy who practically fawns over her. But I guess, to each their own, haha. Overall, it was a sweet and easy read, one I hope that everyone enjoys once it’s released.
Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher.
4 stars!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2025
Book Review 📖🎄❤️❄️
thank you so much partner @ireadya @storygramtours for the gifted copy!
Mint to Be
by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc
out now!
Emma Sherman left without saying goodbye -- and her best friend, Aiden, is furious. He knew Emma was thinking of leaving their quaint New England town of Briar Glen for boarding school in New York City. She had shown him her acceptance letter at Cup o' Jo, their go-to coffee shop, over a mug of their favorite peppermint hot chocolate ... before he got the chance to confess his true feelings for her.
Emma knows she shouldn't have left without saying goodbye, not matter how frosty things got between them. Especially now that Emma is back in town, and she's brought her new boyfriend, Sam, to visit for the holidays. Talk about icy conditions.
As things grow colder between them, Emma and Aiden must find a way to repair their friendship -- but this time, even a peppermint hot chocolate may not be enough to break the ice.
❄️ My thoughts :
So cute! The scratch and sniff sticker on the cover makes my heart happy and it smells delicious. This is the first book I read by this author BUT I do own and will definitely be reading Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice… I just couldn’t wait to read this one! It’s a sweet YA romance where childhood friends become lovers (one of my faves). As with any YA it is a quick read and I had a good time the whole time. I was feeling all the nostalgia of young love and the importance of friendship first in relationships. If you’re looking for a cozy holiday romance that you can read in one sitting because of the holiday hustle and bustle… this is the one to pick up. Mint to be is out now and is the perfect book to add to a loved one’s gift this holiday season!
Happy reading 📖 ❄️🎄❤️
thank you so much partner @ireadya @storygramtours for the gifted copy!
Mint to Be
by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc
out now!
Emma Sherman left without saying goodbye -- and her best friend, Aiden, is furious. He knew Emma was thinking of leaving their quaint New England town of Briar Glen for boarding school in New York City. She had shown him her acceptance letter at Cup o' Jo, their go-to coffee shop, over a mug of their favorite peppermint hot chocolate ... before he got the chance to confess his true feelings for her.
Emma knows she shouldn't have left without saying goodbye, not matter how frosty things got between them. Especially now that Emma is back in town, and she's brought her new boyfriend, Sam, to visit for the holidays. Talk about icy conditions.
As things grow colder between them, Emma and Aiden must find a way to repair their friendship -- but this time, even a peppermint hot chocolate may not be enough to break the ice.
❄️ My thoughts :
So cute! The scratch and sniff sticker on the cover makes my heart happy and it smells delicious. This is the first book I read by this author BUT I do own and will definitely be reading Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice… I just couldn’t wait to read this one! It’s a sweet YA romance where childhood friends become lovers (one of my faves). As with any YA it is a quick read and I had a good time the whole time. I was feeling all the nostalgia of young love and the importance of friendship first in relationships. If you’re looking for a cozy holiday romance that you can read in one sitting because of the holiday hustle and bustle… this is the one to pick up. Mint to be is out now and is the perfect book to add to a loved one’s gift this holiday season!
Happy reading 📖 ❄️🎄❤️
November 3, 2025
this was meh? it didn’t stand out and leave a mark on me but i didn’t hate it. with that being said, it felt a bit flat to me? it does have a dual timeline which gives you an insight into emma and aiden’s friendship prior to her moving to nyc. i ended up switching to audio because i was struggling with the physical book. if you’re looking for a quick festive read, i’d give it a chance. sometimes you just need a cheesy YA holiday romcom.
emma left without saying goodbye and her best friend, aiden, is furious. he knew emma was thinking of leaving their quaint new england town for boarding school in nyc. she had shown him her acceptance letter before he got the chance to confess his true feelings for her. emma knows she shouldn't have left without saying goodbye especially now that she is back in town, and she's brought her new boyfriend, sam, to visit for the holidays. as things grow colder between them, emma and aiden must find a way to repair their friendship but this time, even a peppermint hot chocolate may not be enough to break the ice.
tropes: small town festivities, young adult, friends to lovers/second chance, dual timeline
❄️☕️🦮⛸️🎄
emma left without saying goodbye and her best friend, aiden, is furious. he knew emma was thinking of leaving their quaint new england town for boarding school in nyc. she had shown him her acceptance letter before he got the chance to confess his true feelings for her. emma knows she shouldn't have left without saying goodbye especially now that she is back in town, and she's brought her new boyfriend, sam, to visit for the holidays. as things grow colder between them, emma and aiden must find a way to repair their friendship but this time, even a peppermint hot chocolate may not be enough to break the ice.
tropes: small town festivities, young adult, friends to lovers/second chance, dual timeline
❄️☕️🦮⛸️🎄
December 21, 2025
A YA holiday romance that’s a sweet as peppermint mocha.
☕️
Eight months ago Emma left her hometown to attend boarding school in NYC. Now she’s back for the holidays and brought her new boyfriend with her. She’s worried about seeing her childhood best friend, Aiden, who she left without saying goodbye. Aiden has always been in love with Emma, but feels like he can never find the right time to tell her. A new boyfriend doesn’t help either, but the more time Emma spends home, the more she realizes how much she missed the town, her family, and Aiden.
🍫
This is the perfect YA romance for middle and high schoolers looking for a Hallmark-like story for the holidays. And a scratch and sniff cover?! @scholastic marketing team is on point for that! This was such a hit at my book fair last week @katie_cicatelli_writes
CW: abandonment
I liked it slightly better than Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice, but not much. A little too boring and predictable for me.
☕️
Eight months ago Emma left her hometown to attend boarding school in NYC. Now she’s back for the holidays and brought her new boyfriend with her. She’s worried about seeing her childhood best friend, Aiden, who she left without saying goodbye. Aiden has always been in love with Emma, but feels like he can never find the right time to tell her. A new boyfriend doesn’t help either, but the more time Emma spends home, the more she realizes how much she missed the town, her family, and Aiden.
🍫
This is the perfect YA romance for middle and high schoolers looking for a Hallmark-like story for the holidays. And a scratch and sniff cover?! @scholastic marketing team is on point for that! This was such a hit at my book fair last week @katie_cicatelli_writes
CW: abandonment
I liked it slightly better than Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice, but not much. A little too boring and predictable for me.
December 17, 2025
Did I realize this was the same author as pumpkin spice and everything nice? No, no I did not. But it makes sense now. This is what everyone thinks YA should be, bland, plain, and boring. There is more of a story than the pumpkin spice one, but still does not give that much.
December 10, 2025
4 1/2 stars 😏😝
December 26, 2025
this was actually so soulless
December 8, 2025
I thought this was a cute read. But I like her first book better. I did like the characters in this book.
December 10, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
December 17, 2025
teenagers stress me tf out so bad oh my god
December 18, 2025
2.75✨ ~ and that’s mostly for the dog
December 11, 2025
i’d give this a 3.5. i was super excited to read it but i expected better. i’m happy I got to read it relatively soon after it came out. The Christmas theme definitely made it better.
November 7, 2025
Super cute Christmas romance. Wholesome and happy.
Want to read
November 30, 2025And finally got this book!!! This one is so cool and it has scratch and sniff yummm
Read
October 28, 2025
Trigger & Content Warnings
Minor bullying, including an incident where a character is knocked over while ice skating, resulting in a bruised cheek
Minor bullying, including an incident where a character is knocked over while ice skating, resulting in a bruised cheek
November 10, 2025
genuinely did not enjoy this book :/ the chemistry between emma & aiden was non existent imo. and they just didn’t make sense. in the long run this would 100% be a couple that did not stay together. they’re so different and they talk about it every other conversation they have. i feel like sam was only introduced so we could feel like aiden was a better fit for emma than him, but he was just an asshole. also aiden is boring af sorry & emma does deserve better 🤧
November 13, 2025
Cute Hallmark winter read! I should've curled up by my electric fireplace with a peppermint hot chocolate while reading this lol
October 31, 2025
3 stars!
This was such an upgrade from book one, pumpkin spice & everything nice. Being put back to the small town and Cup O’ Joe shop was really nice. The story was much more elevated then the it’s predecessor. We did see some familiar faces from the previous book too. The YA-ness was still very present here but didn’t get in the way of the romance.
The angst and the want for the MMC is cute and very relatable to teenagers. The author really understands how to portray a teenagers mind set. The darkness of this novel was deeper than the previous couple as well. I do have a bit of PTSD from the phrase PSL and pumpkin spice latte. Our FMC was NOT triggered by a peppermint mocha, thank god! Haha
Short and sweet, easy to read. Finished this in one sitting. The duel narration was well executed too. There could have been more stakes for the FMC. Things seemed to resolve pretty quickly but it’s understandable that it’s supposed to be like that.
This will give you the warm feeling of when coffee shops switch from PSL to peppermint mocha.
This was such an upgrade from book one, pumpkin spice & everything nice. Being put back to the small town and Cup O’ Joe shop was really nice. The story was much more elevated then the it’s predecessor. We did see some familiar faces from the previous book too. The YA-ness was still very present here but didn’t get in the way of the romance.
The angst and the want for the MMC is cute and very relatable to teenagers. The author really understands how to portray a teenagers mind set. The darkness of this novel was deeper than the previous couple as well. I do have a bit of PTSD from the phrase PSL and pumpkin spice latte. Our FMC was NOT triggered by a peppermint mocha, thank god! Haha
Short and sweet, easy to read. Finished this in one sitting. The duel narration was well executed too. There could have been more stakes for the FMC. Things seemed to resolve pretty quickly but it’s understandable that it’s supposed to be like that.
This will give you the warm feeling of when coffee shops switch from PSL to peppermint mocha.
October 27, 2025
This review is for Elisabeth (careful it may spoil a bit).
This was a little cringey at times, but overall, so adorable! Emma was naive, silly, and completely blind to the fact that she already had an amazing guy back home, she didn’t need to travel to another city to realize it. Sam, on the other hand, was insufferable. His holier-than-thou attitude was over the top, and I vehemently disliked his behavior.
I’m so glad Emma finally realized what her heart truly wanted in the end. Aiden was an absolutely adorable MMC; simple, kind, and genuinely loving. And we can’t forget Mackerel! That pup practically understood his humans.
For a YA romance, this was better than most I’ve read. It’s the perfect cozy read to enjoy with a cup of peppermint hot chocolate, a Christmas blanket, and the glow of a dazzling tree. 🎄
This was a little cringey at times, but overall, so adorable! Emma was naive, silly, and completely blind to the fact that she already had an amazing guy back home, she didn’t need to travel to another city to realize it. Sam, on the other hand, was insufferable. His holier-than-thou attitude was over the top, and I vehemently disliked his behavior.
I’m so glad Emma finally realized what her heart truly wanted in the end. Aiden was an absolutely adorable MMC; simple, kind, and genuinely loving. And we can’t forget Mackerel! That pup practically understood his humans.
For a YA romance, this was better than most I’ve read. It’s the perfect cozy read to enjoy with a cup of peppermint hot chocolate, a Christmas blanket, and the glow of a dazzling tree. 🎄
December 18, 2025
Adorable and pepperminty sweet YA romance. 🎄🥰
This is perfect to read during the holidays but also all year round too.
I loved Aidan and completely understood him. His bitterness was just to mask how he felt not just about her now but what happened.
I did like Emma too and, I guess, did I understand why she didn’t want to speak about Aiden but I’m not sure if I could never mention someone who meant so much to me but when it comes to the head vs the heart we are all complicated with unpredictable reactions.
Yes it’s uncomplicated but not everything needs to be complex or convoluted. This was just what I’ve needed. A sweet, cosy, innocent read. 🥰
Thank you, Katie Cicatelli-Kuc & Scholastic for a copy ☕️🎅🏼
This is perfect to read during the holidays but also all year round too.
I loved Aidan and completely understood him. His bitterness was just to mask how he felt not just about her now but what happened.
I did like Emma too and, I guess, did I understand why she didn’t want to speak about Aiden but I’m not sure if I could never mention someone who meant so much to me but when it comes to the head vs the heart we are all complicated with unpredictable reactions.
Yes it’s uncomplicated but not everything needs to be complex or convoluted. This was just what I’ve needed. A sweet, cosy, innocent read. 🥰
Thank you, Katie Cicatelli-Kuc & Scholastic for a copy ☕️🎅🏼
December 24, 2025
This book was cute!! I loved the winter vibes.
Aiden and Emma were cute, I hate Sam so much, he seemed kind of manipulative at some points and how he acted with Aiden pissed me off.
Mackerel was adorable and I loved the scenes with Aiden and his grandma.
I felt like the book focused more on the romance aspect (which is obviously the more important part) so I felt more winter vibes than Christmas vibes, but still a perfect read for this time of year and I enjoyed it.
Also I have to mention, I was disappointed with the romance in Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice so I was very happy to read all the scenes with Lucy and Jack, (specifically them kissing under the mistletoe and ice skating together 🤭)
Aiden and Emma were cute, I hate Sam so much, he seemed kind of manipulative at some points and how he acted with Aiden pissed me off.
Mackerel was adorable and I loved the scenes with Aiden and his grandma.
I felt like the book focused more on the romance aspect (which is obviously the more important part) so I felt more winter vibes than Christmas vibes, but still a perfect read for this time of year and I enjoyed it.
Also I have to mention, I was disappointed with the romance in Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice so I was very happy to read all the scenes with Lucy and Jack, (specifically them kissing under the mistletoe and ice skating together 🤭)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2025
3.5 stars ⭐️
this was such a cute and quick read!
i really liked this one but there are reasons why this wasn’t a four star or even a five star read.
1. the main characters take forever to finally get together, by this i mean like 80% into the book. which is fine cause it did give some slow burn satisfaction but also it just burned a bit too slow.
2. we got too many flashback scenes, i didn’t think all of them were 100% necessary to the plot, i mean it did give some insight to the characters but we didn’t need an entire flashback chapter to get to know their childhood friendship more.
this book did the small town community right! i loved how authentic the town and characters felt. i genuinely loved getting into this world i just wish we got to see more of aiden and emma actually be together and navigate this new dynamic between them
this was such a cute and quick read!
i really liked this one but there are reasons why this wasn’t a four star or even a five star read.
1. the main characters take forever to finally get together, by this i mean like 80% into the book. which is fine cause it did give some slow burn satisfaction but also it just burned a bit too slow.
2. we got too many flashback scenes, i didn’t think all of them were 100% necessary to the plot, i mean it did give some insight to the characters but we didn’t need an entire flashback chapter to get to know their childhood friendship more.
this book did the small town community right! i loved how authentic the town and characters felt. i genuinely loved getting into this world i just wish we got to see more of aiden and emma actually be together and navigate this new dynamic between them
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2025
This was a cute, lighthearted YA romance that was totally made for the winter season. It fully embraces its YA roots and is arguably one of the most YA books I’ve read in a while, but that works in its favor since that’s exactly what it sets out to be. Emma could be a little frustrating at times, but her behavior felt true to life, she’s a teenage girl trying to figure out who she is and what she wants. Overall, this was a cozy, sweet read that delivers exactly what you’d expect from a seasonal YA romance.
I also appreciate the scratch and sniff peppermint cover. I’m a huge fan of peppermint hot chocolate so this was perfect.
I also appreciate the scratch and sniff peppermint cover. I’m a huge fan of peppermint hot chocolate so this was perfect.
October 8, 2025
I love dual timelines. And the fact that it’s a second chance friends to lovers romance makes this even better. OH! And the fact that Christmas was thrown into here? I’m DONE! I love it. The story is where it’s at y’all.
I loved being able to see where everything started for Emma and Aiden, and how everything between them blossom. Of course there’s going to be drama, but it’s a small town Christmas story so of course magic is going to happen too. Plus, how can you hate a book with an amazing HEA?
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this amazing ARC.
I loved being able to see where everything started for Emma and Aiden, and how everything between them blossom. Of course there’s going to be drama, but it’s a small town Christmas story so of course magic is going to happen too. Plus, how can you hate a book with an amazing HEA?
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this amazing ARC.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 328 reviews