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The Christmas Competition
Not yet published
Expected 20 Oct 26Long time nemeses and rival neighbors butt heads in a fierce competition for first place in their neighborhood’s Christmas house-decorating competition in this high-spirited holiday romance.
The local rumor mill in Nisa Ansari's small highland town is swirling about the downfall of her marriage, and in desperate need of a distraction, she enters her town’s Christmas house-decorating competition. The competition comes with the added bonus of getting on neighbor Kerr Murdoch’s last nerve. It’s the least she could do, considering her ex-husband left Nisa for Kerr’s girlfriend. And maybe if Kerr smiled or cracked a joke—just once!—his girlfriend would’ve stayed, and Nisa wouldn’t find herself alone during the holidays.
Introverted Kerr has trouble feeling comfortable around people he doesn’t know well. Newly single, he decorates his house in remembrance of his mother, who always had a soft spot for Christmas lights. But when Nisa's and Kerr’s decorations end up nearly identical, he incurs Nisa’s wrath.
This means all-out war, complete with gaudy wreaths, twinkle lights, and too many reindeer to count. Never mind that Nisa can’t keep her eyes off Kerr’s toned forearms. Or ignore that he’s a pet-loving veterinarian with a heart of gold. After conceding to her husband’s wishes for years, Nisa is determined to get her way. But as Christmas draws near, Nisa must decide what she actually the familiar rivalry she’s had for years with Kerr, or opening herself up to the chance to fall in love with someone new.
The local rumor mill in Nisa Ansari's small highland town is swirling about the downfall of her marriage, and in desperate need of a distraction, she enters her town’s Christmas house-decorating competition. The competition comes with the added bonus of getting on neighbor Kerr Murdoch’s last nerve. It’s the least she could do, considering her ex-husband left Nisa for Kerr’s girlfriend. And maybe if Kerr smiled or cracked a joke—just once!—his girlfriend would’ve stayed, and Nisa wouldn’t find herself alone during the holidays.
Introverted Kerr has trouble feeling comfortable around people he doesn’t know well. Newly single, he decorates his house in remembrance of his mother, who always had a soft spot for Christmas lights. But when Nisa's and Kerr’s decorations end up nearly identical, he incurs Nisa’s wrath.
This means all-out war, complete with gaudy wreaths, twinkle lights, and too many reindeer to count. Never mind that Nisa can’t keep her eyes off Kerr’s toned forearms. Or ignore that he’s a pet-loving veterinarian with a heart of gold. After conceding to her husband’s wishes for years, Nisa is determined to get her way. But as Christmas draws near, Nisa must decide what she actually the familiar rivalry she’s had for years with Kerr, or opening herself up to the chance to fall in love with someone new.
384 pages, Paperback
Expected publication October 20, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Christmas Competition
~Zoe Allison
The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison is the first of what I suspect will be many holiday novels dressed head-to-toe in every glittery, gaudy bauble readers crave in a cozy rom-com, and I am absolutely here for every sparkling second of them. And yes, despite temperatures soaring well over 100 degrees here in Texas, I still curled up in my reading chair with a blanket and pretended I could see my breath in the frosty air.
Christmas looks a little different for Nisa Ansari this year. Earlier in the year, her husband, Drew, requested a "trial separation" and already seems to have moved on with a new girlfriend. Even as she helps decorate the hospital where she works, that familiar tingle of holiday magic continues to elude her.
After scrolling through social media, Nisa discovers that her community is hosting a Christmas house-decorating competition. What better way to lift her spirits than by decking out her home in festive splendor, especially since Drew always considered such displays far too ostentatious? The grand prize is a relaxing spa getaway, something she could certainly use. But the real reward? Seeing the look on the face of her grumpy neighbor, and alleged cat maimer, Kerr Murdoch, as thousands of twinkling lights shine directly into his front window.
What Nisa doesn't realize is that Kerr saw the very same community post and stopped by the hardware store on his way home to pick up decorations of his own, partly inspired by memories of how much his mother adored Christmas lights and perhaps partly to irritate Nisa.
When Nisa discovers that Kerr's decorations are nearly identical to hers, the fuse is lit and a petty rivalry explodes into an all-out Christmas lights war. Somewhere between escalating displays, overloaded electrical outlets, and one rather unfortunate fire, feelings begin to shift. Could two cranky neighbors find common ground over yule logs, hot cocoa, and the magic of Christmas?
Allison creates characters who reach through the pages and tug your emotions in every possible direction. Nisa is unquestionably the heart of the story. She has spent years shrinking herself to fit the expectations of everyone around her, from her parents and sister to her husband. Watching her slowly unwrap her true self is heartwarming, even if readers with stronger personalities may occasionally want to gently shake her and tell her to stand up for herself.
Kerr initially appears to be the classic grump, but beneath that exterior lies a man shaped by abandonment and grief. His mother left when he was young, and her death came before he could ever find closure. In Kerr's mind, everyone eventually leaves. Yet beneath the prickly armor beats a heart of gold. He loves animals, despite Nisa's suspicions, and more than anything, he simply wants to be wanted and needed.
Together, Nisa and Kerr are delightful. Their rivalry feels organic, born from circumstance and personality rather than manufactured conflict. Their chemistry simmers beautifully beneath every argument and competitive jab. Readers will quickly become invested in their escalating feud while quietly cheering them on, knowing full well that all that crackling tension is destined to ignite like a fireplace on Christmas Eve.
The pacing does begin on the slower side, but that is far from a drawback. The gradual buildup lays the groundwork needed for the emotional payoff later on. Once the decorations go up, so does the momentum. The cozy Highland setting feels tailor-made for a holiday escape, and the decorating competition adds a delightful ticking clock to the story. The question of who will out-decorate whom, coupled with the increasingly ridiculous mishaps they encounter (poor Santa), keeps the pages turning. The banter sparkles, the escalation is gleefully absurd, and the enemies-to-lovers thaw arrives at exactly the right moment.
Overall, The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison is a warm, funny, and low-stakes, high-heart escape that is exactly what holiday reading should be. Releasing just in time for the season, this is one readers will want to add to their festive TBRs immediately. Pre-order now on Amazon ahead of its October 20, 2026 release.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Berkley/Penguin Random House, and Zoe Allison for the opportunity to Alpha/Beta/ARC read The Christmas Competition. As always, all opinions expressed are entirely my own, Karen Brooks aka The Tx Lit Chic. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review of The Christmas Competition.
~Zoe Allison
The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison is the first of what I suspect will be many holiday novels dressed head-to-toe in every glittery, gaudy bauble readers crave in a cozy rom-com, and I am absolutely here for every sparkling second of them. And yes, despite temperatures soaring well over 100 degrees here in Texas, I still curled up in my reading chair with a blanket and pretended I could see my breath in the frosty air.
Christmas looks a little different for Nisa Ansari this year. Earlier in the year, her husband, Drew, requested a "trial separation" and already seems to have moved on with a new girlfriend. Even as she helps decorate the hospital where she works, that familiar tingle of holiday magic continues to elude her.
After scrolling through social media, Nisa discovers that her community is hosting a Christmas house-decorating competition. What better way to lift her spirits than by decking out her home in festive splendor, especially since Drew always considered such displays far too ostentatious? The grand prize is a relaxing spa getaway, something she could certainly use. But the real reward? Seeing the look on the face of her grumpy neighbor, and alleged cat maimer, Kerr Murdoch, as thousands of twinkling lights shine directly into his front window.
What Nisa doesn't realize is that Kerr saw the very same community post and stopped by the hardware store on his way home to pick up decorations of his own, partly inspired by memories of how much his mother adored Christmas lights and perhaps partly to irritate Nisa.
When Nisa discovers that Kerr's decorations are nearly identical to hers, the fuse is lit and a petty rivalry explodes into an all-out Christmas lights war. Somewhere between escalating displays, overloaded electrical outlets, and one rather unfortunate fire, feelings begin to shift. Could two cranky neighbors find common ground over yule logs, hot cocoa, and the magic of Christmas?
Allison creates characters who reach through the pages and tug your emotions in every possible direction. Nisa is unquestionably the heart of the story. She has spent years shrinking herself to fit the expectations of everyone around her, from her parents and sister to her husband. Watching her slowly unwrap her true self is heartwarming, even if readers with stronger personalities may occasionally want to gently shake her and tell her to stand up for herself.
Kerr initially appears to be the classic grump, but beneath that exterior lies a man shaped by abandonment and grief. His mother left when he was young, and her death came before he could ever find closure. In Kerr's mind, everyone eventually leaves. Yet beneath the prickly armor beats a heart of gold. He loves animals, despite Nisa's suspicions, and more than anything, he simply wants to be wanted and needed.
Together, Nisa and Kerr are delightful. Their rivalry feels organic, born from circumstance and personality rather than manufactured conflict. Their chemistry simmers beautifully beneath every argument and competitive jab. Readers will quickly become invested in their escalating feud while quietly cheering them on, knowing full well that all that crackling tension is destined to ignite like a fireplace on Christmas Eve.
The pacing does begin on the slower side, but that is far from a drawback. The gradual buildup lays the groundwork needed for the emotional payoff later on. Once the decorations go up, so does the momentum. The cozy Highland setting feels tailor-made for a holiday escape, and the decorating competition adds a delightful ticking clock to the story. The question of who will out-decorate whom, coupled with the increasingly ridiculous mishaps they encounter (poor Santa), keeps the pages turning. The banter sparkles, the escalation is gleefully absurd, and the enemies-to-lovers thaw arrives at exactly the right moment.
Overall, The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison is a warm, funny, and low-stakes, high-heart escape that is exactly what holiday reading should be. Releasing just in time for the season, this is one readers will want to add to their festive TBRs immediately. Pre-order now on Amazon ahead of its October 20, 2026 release.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Berkley/Penguin Random House, and Zoe Allison for the opportunity to Alpha/Beta/ARC read The Christmas Competition. As always, all opinions expressed are entirely my own, Karen Brooks aka The Tx Lit Chic. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review of The Christmas Competition.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4 stars.
I really wanted something Christmas-y this month, and "The Christmas Competition" by Zoe Allison totally fit the bill. This is a low-stakes, fun, slightly spicy holiday enemies-to-lovers small-town romance between rival neighbors Nisa (FMC) and Kerr (MMC), who aren't exactly each other's biggest fans. Nisa is going through a separation from her husband, but she's still holding out hope that he'll come back... until she finds out he's dating Kerr's ex-girlfriend. In an effort to bolster her holiday spirit, she decides to enter her town's Christmas lights display competition. Little does she know, Kerr is also doing the same thing despite never really showing an interest in decorations in the past. The decorations they have picked are shockingly similar to each other's. The two of them enter into a self-imposed war of the Christmas adornments that gets pettier and more grandiose by the hour. I found this book to be quite fun! I loved the decoration shenanigans and sabotage between Kerr and Nisa. The way they pettily and playfully try to one-up each other had me laughing out loud. It all felt very realistic and not super over-the-top or fake. They both tended to assume the worst about the other due to their past interactions. As they face off in their holiday-home spectacle, they slowly but surely fall for each other. I enjoyed watching them gradually lower their walls with one another as they come to realize they have both been wrong about each other. This is a very light read for the most part, though there is a little bit of heaviness where Nisa and her horrible ex-husband are concerned. What a huge, huge jerk that guy was. This book should be enough to put you in the holiday spirit, though it will likely do this slowly due to some pacing issues.
Thank you to NetGalley, Zoe Allison, and Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
I really wanted something Christmas-y this month, and "The Christmas Competition" by Zoe Allison totally fit the bill. This is a low-stakes, fun, slightly spicy holiday enemies-to-lovers small-town romance between rival neighbors Nisa (FMC) and Kerr (MMC), who aren't exactly each other's biggest fans. Nisa is going through a separation from her husband, but she's still holding out hope that he'll come back... until she finds out he's dating Kerr's ex-girlfriend. In an effort to bolster her holiday spirit, she decides to enter her town's Christmas lights display competition. Little does she know, Kerr is also doing the same thing despite never really showing an interest in decorations in the past. The decorations they have picked are shockingly similar to each other's. The two of them enter into a self-imposed war of the Christmas adornments that gets pettier and more grandiose by the hour. I found this book to be quite fun! I loved the decoration shenanigans and sabotage between Kerr and Nisa. The way they pettily and playfully try to one-up each other had me laughing out loud. It all felt very realistic and not super over-the-top or fake. They both tended to assume the worst about the other due to their past interactions. As they face off in their holiday-home spectacle, they slowly but surely fall for each other. I enjoyed watching them gradually lower their walls with one another as they come to realize they have both been wrong about each other. This is a very light read for the most part, though there is a little bit of heaviness where Nisa and her horrible ex-husband are concerned. What a huge, huge jerk that guy was. This book should be enough to put you in the holiday spirit, though it will likely do this slowly due to some pacing issues.
Thank you to NetGalley, Zoe Allison, and Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If there's one thing I'm going to read every holiday season, it's a Christmas romance... and The Christmas Competition was exactly the kind of festive escape I was hoping for. 🎄❤️
This book was cozy, funny, and full of Christmas magic from beginning to end. The rivalry between the neighbors made for so many entertaining moments, and I loved watching all of the holiday competition chaos slowly turn into something much sweeter. The banter was fun, the chemistry kept building, and there were even a few spicy moments that caught me by surprise. 🌶️✨
The small-town setting felt like the perfect place to spend Christmas, with all the festive traditions, community spirit, and cozy vibes that make holiday romances so much fun to read. It left me wanting to curl up with a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and keep reading long after I should have gone to bed.
If you're already building your holiday TBR, this one absolutely deserves a spot on it.
🎄 Rival neighbors
❤️ Enemies to lovers
❄️ Christmas romance
🏡 Small-town romance
🎁 Holiday competition
🐾 Veterinarian MMC
✨ Fresh start romance
This book was cozy, funny, and full of Christmas magic from beginning to end. The rivalry between the neighbors made for so many entertaining moments, and I loved watching all of the holiday competition chaos slowly turn into something much sweeter. The banter was fun, the chemistry kept building, and there were even a few spicy moments that caught me by surprise. 🌶️✨
The small-town setting felt like the perfect place to spend Christmas, with all the festive traditions, community spirit, and cozy vibes that make holiday romances so much fun to read. It left me wanting to curl up with a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and keep reading long after I should have gone to bed.
If you're already building your holiday TBR, this one absolutely deserves a spot on it.
🎄 Rival neighbors
❤️ Enemies to lovers
❄️ Christmas romance
🏡 Small-town romance
🎁 Holiday competition
🐾 Veterinarian MMC
✨ Fresh start romance
August 5, 2026
Yes it’s over 100F here in Arizona and I love to read my Christmas Rom Coms .
Nisa and Kerr have spent years being grumpy neighbors across the street from one another. When both end up newly single after Kerr’s girlfriend leaves him for Nisa’s husband, the last thing either wants is to see the other every day.
Then the town’s Christmas decorating competition begins.
What starts as an excuse to annoy each other quickly turns into an all-out neighborhood battle. Every time one puts up a decoration, the other tries to top it. Nisa is convinced Kerr is copying her, while Kerr can’t believe she’s always one step ahead. Their rivalry escalates through lights, wreaths, and a little harmless sabotage—until somewhere along the way, the competition stops being the most important thing.
If you enjoy cozy Christmas romances with small-town charm, rival neighbors, and plenty of holiday decorating, this is a fun seasonal read. Just be aware that it does include open-door romance scenes.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley Romance for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was my first Zoe Allison book and I was excited to get started on this Christmas read. The Christmas Competition starts out with two feuding neighbors, Dr Nisa and veterinarian Kerr. A misunderstanding in the past has pitted the two single people against each other. AND their ex's are now dating each other. So they avoid each other at all cost. Until the neighborhood has a Christmas decorating competition. Nisa enters and starts to decorate and at the same time Kerr does the same. They try to out do each other in very comedic was and then find some common ground. Love creeps up on these two and there are some other surprises as well. This has a lot of humor and some sweet moments. I liked this book, but for some reason did not love. It was slow at some points. But if you are looking for a cozy Christmas romance that takes place in a small town, this book could be for you!
Thank you NetGalley for this advanced ebook copy!
Thank you NetGalley for this advanced ebook copy!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
🎄💙 The Christmas Competition 💙🎄
I never skip out on a holiday romcom, and this one delivered! It was funny, lighthearted, and full of holiday cheer, but it also had some surprisingly good spice. 🔥🔥
Definitely add this one to your holiday TBR.
❄️ What to Expect
• Rival Neighbors
• Enemies to Lovers
• Christmas Romance
• Small Town
• Holiday Competition
• Veterinarian MMC
• Fresh Start Romance
📅 Pub Date: October 20, 2026
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
I never skip out on a holiday romcom, and this one delivered! It was funny, lighthearted, and full of holiday cheer, but it also had some surprisingly good spice. 🔥🔥
Definitely add this one to your holiday TBR.
❄️ What to Expect
• Rival Neighbors
• Enemies to Lovers
• Christmas Romance
• Small Town
• Holiday Competition
• Veterinarian MMC
• Fresh Start Romance
📅 Pub Date: October 20, 2026
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Zoe Allison and NetGalley for the ARC!
I found the setting and the Christmas decorating competition to bring a unique, cozy, and silly vibe to a holiday book.
However, I found the chemistry between Kerr and Nisa to be lacking. I think the storyline was unique, in that they end up with their ex's ex. Ultimately, though, the romance aspect fell short and I found myself struggling to get into the storyline.
I think some people will really enjoy this book, but it just was not for me.
I found the setting and the Christmas decorating competition to bring a unique, cozy, and silly vibe to a holiday book.
However, I found the chemistry between Kerr and Nisa to be lacking. I think the storyline was unique, in that they end up with their ex's ex. Ultimately, though, the romance aspect fell short and I found myself struggling to get into the storyline.
I think some people will really enjoy this book, but it just was not for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Christmas Romance Book Checklist:
Corny ✔️
Saying I Love You in 3 weeks or less ✔️
Plot twist seen from outer space ✔️
Worth every second cause it’s brings you an easy sense of joy and comfort ✔️
Corny ✔️
Saying I Love You in 3 weeks or less ✔️
Plot twist seen from outer space ✔️
Worth every second cause it’s brings you an easy sense of joy and comfort ✔️
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews