Not a Holiday Romance

by Jenn Plummer

Snowed in. Polar Opposites. One inconvenient holiday romance.

River has spent his entire life watching holiday romance movies and waiting for his own happily ever after to arrive. After one night of too much spiked eggnog, he takes matters into his own hands.

It’s a perfect spend one magical week surrounded by snow, holiday cheer, and ideally, find the love of his life.

Right up until a winter storm hits and he crashes his car in front of the town’s resident grump.

Easton likes his life exactly the way it is, quiet, predictable, and far away from people and noise. He has his cabin, his dog, and absolutely zero interest in Christmas . . . or the overly enthusiastic menace who has somehow managed to turn his peaceful winter into a full-blown holiday disaster.

River came to Evergreen Hollow looking for a holiday romance; he just didn’t expect it to come with a grumpy, Christmas-hating lumberjack. And Easton didn’t expect the man who crashed into his life to make him question everything he wanted.

But maybe River’s over-the-top Christmas-movie fantasies aren’t so ridiculous after all. Maybe Christmas magic really does exist. And maybe a holiday romance is just what both of them need.



Not a Holiday Romance is a light Christmas romcom, featuring a charismatic wedding planner and a grumpy lumberjack, set in an idyllic Bavarian town. Filled with humor, heart, and all the steam.

Genres: Christmas, Holiday, M M Romance, Romance, LGBT, Holiday Romance

223 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication November 5, 2026

About the author

Author, wife, mother, lover of reading, overcast skies, chilly weather, and hockey.

A romantic at heart, Jenn has always been a lover of books, and is constantly dreaming up heart-wrenching stories that will have you reaching for tissues and make you blush.

When Jenn's not writing, she can be found reading a spicy romance novel, watching scary movies, and enjoying her quiet life in New England, living out her real-life romance story.

Follow along for more updates and book news.

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jenn-Pl...

Instagram @authorjennplummer

Goodreads @jennplummer

Threads @authorjennplummer

Reviews

[Ema · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Despite the title - this is just that, a holiday romance.

River has been obsessed with Christmas and holiday romance movies since his childhood. He’s been dreaming about finding his one big holiday romance love for ages and one drunk night he finds out about a Christmas village that is decorates 365 days of the year and decides to book a trip there.

Easton has been living in the Christmas village his whole life, he hates Christmas and all the tourists it brings to his town and he is a true grump. One night when there is a heavy blizzard outside he gets nearly run over by non other that River who is his polar opposite.

Since they are trapped they spend a lot of time together and he realizes that for the first time since loosing his mum he is finally happy with River by his side. So he becomes determined to live out Rivers dream holiday romance and make him stay by his side.

Very cute and spicy

[Kim Merkenhof · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a freaking cute read is this. I fell in love with River the first page of the book. He is so freaking cute. I just wanna eat him up. A-do-ra-ble.

This book is everything you need this Christmas. Sweet, fun, cute, full of feelings, Christmas vibes, an adorable green flag, a grump, a dog and a cat. What else do you need? Nothing, there’s nothing else.

Love Easton too, the way he does everything for River, just to see him smile. Swoon🥹🥹

[Reading With April · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

ARC review - releases 11.05.26

It's definitely a Hallmark Christmas romance with added open door spice. (Slow burn).

It was a cute, easy, cozy read. River is your ray of sunshine or should I say your rope of LED Christmas lights with an innocence about him and his search for his Holiday romance.
Then you have Easton the grump and his wanting no part of Christmas, but of course that all changes rather quickly when River crashes into his life.

The "I I'm in love with you" thing after less than a week of being around each other wasn't my thing along with the "daddy" comments, but that's just my personal opinion for me.

All in all it was cute and you should for sure add this to your TBR for some seasonal reading as we head into the Holidays.

Spice 🌶🌶

[Rachel Kreger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute. I was waiting for River to annoy me because he was always 𝘰𝘯 but he didn’t. I also thought I’d get sick of Easton being grumpy the entire time but I did like both of them. Even if their story is a little unbelievable.


𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗺𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱

[Jennifer Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok but this was CUTE!

What do you get when you have an extreme Christmas fanatic and a grumpy lumberjack under one roof? A Christmas romance obviously! River is OBSESSED with all things Christmas and when he runs off the road in search of his perfect holiday romance , nearly hitting Easton … you guessed it.

Easton doesn’t do Christmas. At all. Not since him mother died and he rescues the one man who’s going to test every bit of patience he has. River is a “menace”. Two left feet. A hazard to himself and others and you can’t help but find him endearing.

This is not a long read and it’s a slow burn. 2🌶️. They are cute together.

[MN Book Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, but it was; he just didn't know it yet!

River always wanted a Hallmark-esque Christmas love story, but living in Arizona doesn't lead to much snow or tree farms. Now that he's twenty-five, he's going on his own adventure to find this magic. Enter Easton, who happens to save River once he gets to town and a blizzard hits. Easton is everything River's not and hates Christmas. That doesn't stop him from helping River fulfill his Christmas bucket list while he's in town. So what happens when the Christmas magic hits Easton too and the week comes to an end?

Easton and River get their happy ending in this standalone book.

These two were so fantastic together! I loved watching Easton melt for River and River finally finding his place in the world! It was also great how much River's brother looked out for him, and I half expected him to show up and look for River in this town after not hearing from him. It would have been interesting to know what Easton's brothers thought of River, though I bet they loved him for bringing their brother back to them. It would be interesting to know if Easton's one other brother ever settled down as well, or if he remained the lone bachelor in the family.

I received an advanced review copy from The Smuthood Promo, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Bitzreads · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

( I received an ARC copy of this book, all thoughts are my own)

A perfect blend of Romance & Comedy. Exactly what I would want from a heart-warming rom com.

River is too cute and innocent for his own good! I flipped between wanting to hug him and shake him. But still immediately falling in love with him. Easton is the perfect opposite grumpy, skeptical and unfortunately for River a real scrooge about Christmas. I loved their polar opposite personalities I could really imagine Easton rolling his eyes at River. Their banter was fun and so natural. Of course there is some spice, not spice heavy but what there is was really good and satisfying.

A really, fun light hearted cosy story with all the Christmas vibes. I found myself smiling almost the whole way through. I can imagine curling up on the sofa with a hot chocolate and a blanket giving this a read over the holidays. Even better because it is short you could settle down and read in one sitting.

[Dominique · Rating 3 out of 5]

*ARC received from The Smuthood Inc.*

Idk what I expected but this was hot 🤭 I love the contrasts in personalities and appearances
Very quick read too.

[Ramon · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎄BOOK REVIEW🎄
I read Not A Holiday Romance by Jenn Plummer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4/5 stars)

Synopsis: Living in Arizona, River never experienced snow, loves Christmas and wants a movie magical romance. He decides to go to Evergreen Hollow, a Christmas town. When a blizzard thwarts his plans and has him careened off the highway as he gets rescued by the grumpy Christmas hating Easton who offers him his place to stay to wait out the storm. The two get to know each other with River doing everything in his power to melt Easton’s icy interior.

Review: I was so lucky to receive an ARC of this book right in time for the holiday season. This book was a Christmas lovers delight. So cute and so heartwarming it had me wanting my own grumpy lumberjack of a man. If you’re a fan of Hallmark movies, you’ll love this book. The smile that erupted in my face never went away. The opening prologue of the book was so cute as were introduced to River and his love for Christmas from such a young age and knowing what he wants in life, fast forward and now an adult he takes it upon himself to have the movie magical Christmas he longs for, but of course you don’t do it with having an a actual plan. I loved Rivers joyous monologues, to his Christmas whimsy and everything about him. The meeting between River and Easton was also so cute and so funny, Easton flabbergasted that River just decided to go on a trip without booking any accommodations and having no real plan and coming during a huge blizzard and the back and forth between them. So good!
Easton being a Christmas hating grump him and River didn’t really get along much, but there’s a reason Easton doesn’t like the holiday much, and it was so heartwarming to read about it and him opening himself back up to the joy with Rivers help. This book was very spicy and I thoroughly enjoyed the spice within. It was very good. This was such a great read and now a Christmas staple that I can’t wait to reread every Christmas season!

Have you read Not A Holiday Romance? What did you think of it? Comment down below ⬇️

🎄🐶❄️🌈

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Jenn Plummer and Smuthood for the ARC.

This was very cute, but it felt more saccharine than sweet to me. Definitely a Hallmark Channel movie in book form, and no shade to anyone who enjoys those, they're just not my taste.

I do love Christmas and romcoms, though, and based on the premise and setting, was stoked to get approved for an ARC. I think the setting was described very well and I was able to easily picture it (and am already planning to see about a visit to Leavenworth, WA, which Evergreen Hollow seems to be based on).

I wasn't super into the MCs' relationship. As characters on their own they were fine, but I didn't really like them for each other. River came off as extremely naive, mainly due to his obsessed with being in a holiday romance, to the point that it was difficult at times to see him as a sexual person. I knew this was an age gap romance going in, but River just seemed so much younger than he actually is, and as someone who's the same age as Easton, I was kind of side-eying him for being attracted to River.

The insta-love trope is also one of my least favorites; it's really hard for me to take a character seriously when they say they're in love with someone after like a week, and I had trouble believing that River would have fallen for Easton if he wasn't actively trying to live out his own Hallmark movie.

In terms of the actual prose, it got repetitive at times. Certain descriptions used more than once that could've been reworded, and I know "menace" and "big man" were just their nicknames for each other, but once they were introduced I felt like I was reading those words over and over.

That said, I thought the spice was well-written, and I appreciated that the characters didn't have a strictly top/bottom or dom/sub dynamic, since I've inadvertently read a string of MM romances where that's the case.

[Heidi N · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review

Not a Holiday Romance by Jenn Plummer will give you all the feels and more this holiday season! Easton and River are the definition of opposites in every way, except for where it matters. They had me from the first meeting of the separate and then again together.

The naivety of River and his love for all thing Christmas was just, OMG! To put yourself in his shoes to see all things Christmas from the first-time seeing snow, to the wonderment of a making a snow angel, and then walking around a town dedicated to the holiday he enjoys like a kid on Christmas morning, ugh! He will have you wanting to decorate your house and start playing music almost immediately.

And then there is the grumpy lumberjack, Easton, who would rather seclude himself than do anything, and I mean ANYTHING related to Christmas. But for the man that lives in the town that is dedicated to the season year-round, you would think he would just leave and move on. WRONG! It is almost like he has been sticking around the town his family is still in but cannot seem to move away from. A higher power, or his angel of a mother, brought River to Easton.

River becomes Easton’s menace in every way that matters. The anticipation and slow burn of this book will have you flipping the pages so quickly, it will be like ripping off the wrapping paper on all your gifts that are hiding under the tree! Or patiently waiting for almost the full month of December to finally get the gift you have been wanting, pining after until you are finally able to grasp it with both hands!

I fell in love with not just this book but the story that Jenn was able to give us! Plus a few easter eggs from previous books made me just as giddy! Not a Holiday Romance is a true stand alone, where you do not need to read any of her previous books, as there are no character crossovers.

I received Not a Holiday Romance as an ARC and provided a review willingly.

[Brittany Furnish · Rating 5 out of 5]

****ARC READER REVIEW****

If you know me at all, you know holiday romances are my catnip.

Throw in some forced proximity, a grumpy mountain man, a Christmas-obsessed disaster, and one bed?

I was done for before chapter two.

River is basically if a Hallmark movie gained consciousness and started making questionable travel decisions. After deciding his dream holiday romance isn't going to magically appear in Arizona, this man Googles a Christmas town and immediately launches himself toward it like a festive missile.

And then nearly takes out Easton with his car.

Which, honestly, is one way to meet your soulmate.

Easton just wants to live quietly in his cabin with his dog and be left alone. Instead, the universe drops River on his doorstep and says, "Congratulations. This is your problem now."

And somehow River becomes exactly that.

This man could trip over flat ground. He can't cook. He can't stop talking. He has approximately three survival instincts.

Meanwhile Easton spends the book feeding him, protecting him, taking care of him, and pretending he isn't completely gone for the human Christmas ornament currently wrecking his peaceful life.

I was LOSING MY MIND.

The grumpy/sunshine dynamic was top tier because River treated every inconvenience like a fun holiday activity while Easton looked one minor inconvenience away from moving to another mountain.

And don't even get me started on the one-bed situation.

I saw it coming from a mile away and still kicked my feet.

The slow burn was sweet, the chemistry was adorable, and I loved watching Easton slowly realize that maybe his perfect quiet life was missing one overly enthusiastic Christmas fanatic.

[RomanceLand65 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read. What does one do when you really need to experience a truw Christmas. You fly there. You experience it with all the holiday tropes a romance book provides. This book is a collection of Romance tropes river needs to experience in his lifetime. Snowed in at Christmas, stranded in a blizzard, driving the worst car in the middle of the worst snow storm only to go off the road and be rescued by the lumberjack of his dreams. Which he has had this dream since he was 13. What started off was to experience a true snowy Christmas turned into a holiday season neither one will forget or want to forget.
Easton wanted to not celebrate the holiday because of the loss of his mom. Little did we know that he rescued the prince of holiday romance. It takes time for river to break down the walls. But he does. And it's so sweet.
This book is a novella so as you know it needs to be on the short side but pack the important stuff in. While I felt that both characters had a deep back history it was not part of the read and I felt there was a bigger story to be told with the loss of Easton's mom. It's basically the premise of his grumpy guy persona. And other than mention of why he hated Christmas because it was her favorite holiday. I felt there was part of the story that was kind of blank. Her death obviously caused his years long attitude. Maybe it's me. And river really had no back story either. I can't believe I am writing this but less sex scenes and more of the characters backstory. But that's me.
If you enjoy the holiday vibes mm romance it was a good read with lots of quotes that I would use for promo.

[Jessica Saechao · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎄📚 Not a Holiday Romance | ARC Read 📚🎄

Okay, funny story! 😂 When I submitted to be an ARC reader for this book, I clearly did NOT pay attention to the cover or even bother reading the blurb. I just signed up and went with it!

Fast forward to when I finally received the book and actually looked at the cover… Ummm, wait a minute. That’s TWO guys on the cover! 👀😂

Here I was thinking I was getting a cute, Hallmark-style holiday romance with a little smut between a guy and a girl. NOPE! Plot twist! 🎄🤣

But here’s the thing about me… once I start a book, I HAVE to finish it! And technically, this isn’t my first rodeo. This is my second MM romance, so I’m not a complete newbie to this genre!

And honestly?! This was the CUTEST little Christmas meet-cute romance! ❤️🎄

I absolutely LOVED River! His personality, his humor, and the things that came out of his mouth had me giggling throughout the entire book! He was easily my favorite part of the story!

Now, for those wondering about the spice… 🌶️ Things didn’t start heating up until about 75% into the book. But when they did?! 👀🔥 Let’s just say I learned a few things! 😂 I now have some new terms in my vocabulary that mean something COMPLETELY different than I originally thought! 🤣

I went into this book expecting one thing and ended up getting something entirely different, and I’m so glad I did!

I genuinely enjoyed this one from start to finish! It was funny, sweet, festive, and had just the right amount of spice to make it a fun little Christmas read! 🎅🏼❤️

Another ARC read that pushed me outside my usual reading comfort zone, and I’m here for it! 📚💕

[Kristin · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

Well, this honestly was NOT on my bingo card... reading a Christmas romance before Halloween has even passed?! Just call me Walmart, bypassing holidays and skipping straight to Christmas!

But do I regret it? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

This was such a ridiculously cute, quick read, and I was kicking my feet and grinning from beginning to end. Seriously, give me all the holiday magic!

We meet River, the ultimate Christmas elf. He loves EVERYTHING about Christmas: the lights, the decorations, the peppermint creamer, and, most importantly, Christmas romance movies! He's dreamed of having his very own Christmas romance since he was young, and after a couple of spiked eggnogs, he decides it's finally time to make that dream a reality. One spontaneous decision, one booked trip, and he's off to find his own Hallmark-worthy happily ever after.

Of course, things don't exactly go according to plan. After getting stranded and crashing in the middle of a blizzard, River is rescued by Easton, a big, burly man who just so happens to hate Christmas.

And you KNOW where this is going... or do you?

Give me:
Forced proximity
A Christmas-loving sunshine character
A grumpy, Christmas-hating big burly man
ALL the holiday feels
No third-act breakup!
A HEA!

Honestly, this felt like curling up with your favorite Hallmark Christmas movie, except with a little extra spice thrown in. What's not to love?!

If you love Christmas, the magic of the season, and a romance that will leave you smiling like you've just opened the perfect present, ADD THIS ONE TO YOUR TBR!

And apparently, we're doing Christmas in October now. No regrets. Zero.

[Wminbc · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

If you know me…you know I love a holiday romance!!! Back in the blog days, I would request every single holiday book and novella all year! The summer was often a good time for Netgalley. Now, I was fortunate enough to be selected by The Smuthood for the ARC of this one “Not a Holiday Romance”. It was sweet, fun, angsty and full of tropes I love!!!

Age Gap: check
Forced Proximity: check
Grumpy/Sunshine: check
Holiday lover/hater: check
One bed: check
Daddy vibes: check

River is a hopeful romantic! He and his brother Jasper have watched every single Christmas movie ever made. Huge shout out to green flag Jasper for having his brother’s back and supporting him while living in the professional football arena. At 25, River realizes that he is never going to get his Holiday Romance sitting at home in Arizona…so one google search sets him on a vacation to the ultimate Christmas town.

Easton is a man who knows who he is and what he wants. Privacy and quiet. He lives alone up the mountain in his cabin with his dog. When he chooses to reach out, he has his brothers and their families. Life is perfect. Or is it? One brief encounter with River and nearly being killed by River’s out of control car set his peaceful existence into chaos.

River is convinced he can make a Christmas fan out of Easton. Easton is just trying to survive River’s incessant chatter, bumbling cooking attempts, and clumsy nature. River needs a caretaker…and Easton steps up.

I loved this sweet, slow burn…neither expected…A Holiday Romance!!!

[Caitlynn Burnaman · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Not a Holiday Romance is the chaotic Christmas love story of River and Easton – an unlikely match that turns out sweeter than any Hallmark movie could ever dream of being.

We all have that one person in our lives who loves the holidays. They love to decorate, dress up, and spread cheer. And then there's River – he takes every stereotype one step farther. He's what you'd get if Buddy the Elf and a Sugar Plum Fairy had a baby. River is a perpetually optimistic, deeply romantic, cocoa-powered Christmas force to be reckoned with. This Christmas he's determined to create a perfect, snowy, gingerbread-filled, holiday romance for himself. And I'm convinced even Santa and every single reindeer wouldn't be able to stop him.

This story is just adorable. It's just chaotic enough to keep you guessing and wondering how much farther River might push Easton before he snaps and decides to bury River in the snow. Their banter is flirty and fun – their connection might be unlikely, but their chemistry is obvious from the beginning. River is determined to give Easton, a grumpy lumberjack type, the best version of Christmas. Jenn Plummer has written a perfect book to cozy up with and read on a snowy afternoon. As much as it's light and fun, it's also a great reminder that to the right person you are never too much, too loud, too anything. We're each deserving of love and meaningful connections. Truly, we need this kind of whimsical hope around the holidays!

Thank you to The Smuthood and Jenn Plummer for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[TarynLA · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

MM Holiday Novella Romance

4.5⭐️ Super cute and cozy Christmas novella. There was low angst, low drama, spice and lots of laughs with banter that was top tier. …. Also a mournful / bittersweet moment……
If this was a full length novel I’d expect more in depth about their past, family etc. but being a novella I thought it was just about perfect the way it was.

Honestly, I felt a like Easton before going into this, because I’m not quite ready for Christmas reads (Halloween), but just like him, I just couldn’t help thinking that with every excited gasp from River or his flirtatious smile and his enthusiasm, was just super cute and infectious….it also had me smiling….. all while Easton was trying hard not to….which didn’t last for long.

Easton likes the quiet…. But he just realized, being ‘stuck’ with River, that maybe that’s not truly the case anymore
River loves Christmas and everything that goes with it…. All he’s ever wanted was a holiday romance like all those movies he loves.

No cheating, no OMD, no third act break up with a HEA

* Age Gap 25 / 38
* Grumpy / Sunshine
* Snowed In
* Wedding Planner x Lumberjack
* Opposites Attract
* Small Town / Bavarian Christmas Town
* OTT Christmas Lover
* Vacation Bucket List

“I don’t understand how you’re just out here living life, raw dogging your coffee like you actually enjoy the flavor of burnt coffee beans.”

“I may need to swoon; I can’t take it.”
“Jesus Christ, please don’t.”

[Brittany (happy.ending.always) · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎄❤️ All The Stars ❤️🎄

Get ready for me to hardcore GUSH over this book. Never have I read something soooo sweet and joyful. This is literally like a warm hug in the form of an incredible romance story!

First River is soooo sweet. He is a man living in hot Arizona who dreams of a wonderful white Christmas land to fall in love with. On a whim, he finds this incredible town devoted to making Christmas year round, not just December, he buys a ticket to what he hopes will be the happiest place on earth!

Meanwhile, grumpy (who I loved soooo much) Easton has lived in this town his entire life, secluding himself to his snowy cabin to be as far away from the joy as possible. Then he runs into River and the rest of the story is magical. Truly, sooooo swoony and heartfelt. This book will pull at your heartstrings in the best way.

Don’t get me started on the holiday bucket list too! Eeeeekkk so swoony!

Every page I wanted to live in this story. I wanted to dive into the stories happiness. River is such a love & joy, he had me smiling ear to ear. Easton was such a fun character to read. His story was beautiful, I constantly wanted to reach in and hug him. Eeeeekkk, Jenn Plummer writes every story with such heart. I love her books, but this for sure is my absolute favorite! 🎄❤️♾️⭐️ ♾️⭐️♾️⭐️

[Allison Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Grab life by the bells”

This book is fluff. Pure Christmas fluff, and I freaking loved it. It’s pretty much a Hallmark Christmas movie and gives you that happy, warm feeling you get when the credits roll across your screen. 😍

River’s hatred for feet had me cackling, and I legit lost it when I hit the sentence “keeping on my socks, just the way River likes it.” 💀🦶

I think I extra loved this book because River was pretty much me before I met my husband, just without the Christmas part of the fairytale obsession (although let’s be honest, I’m also a Christmas nut!).

River was such a friggen fantastic character. He was witty and sarcastic and just too damn hilarious, and Easton was such a perfect grump of a lumberjack that you just can’t help but fall totally in love with him!

The docking was 👌🏻
The excited gasps sounding like scared gasps were sooooo relatable. 🤣💀
The gingerbread contest was adorable. 🏠
Also, the epilogue title? 10/10. 💀🤣

If you need a cozy, feel good Christmas read, this one is definitely for you!

Thank you to Jenn & The Smuthood for the ARC!

Title - Not A Holiday Romance
Author - Jenn Plummer
Star rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spicy Rating - 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Overall - Autistic Allie Approved ✅

[Liana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and the team for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is the perfect read if you love grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, opposites attract, and a little Christmas magic! 🎄

I absolutely loved the cozy winter atmosphere, the snowy setting, and the small-town festival vibes. Since I was looking for a book to get me into the autumn and winter mood, especially with an M/M romance, this was exactly what I needed!

River is a hopeless romantic who's spent most of his life dreaming of his own happily ever after, preferably straight out of a Christmas movie. Easton, on the other hand, is a grumpy lumberjack who would much rather enjoy the peace of his cabin than deal with anything remotely Christmas-related.

When a winter storm throws these two opposites together, things get a little more complicated than either of them expected.

I really enjoyed the contrast between River’s bubbly, over-the-top Christmas enthusiasm and Easton’s grumpy, no-nonsense personality. Their dynamic brought so much charm and humor to the story, and I found their interactions both entertaining and heartwarming. Overall, this was such a cozy and enjoyable read, and I’m so glad I picked it up!

[Raelynn & Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Review: Not A Holiday Romance 🚫🎄✨ By Jenn Plummer ✍️❤️‍🔥

‼️🚨🛑🚫SPOILERS AHEAD🚫🛑🚨‼️

This was a good read! Very well written with minimal spice throughout... until those last few chapters 🥵🌶️. I’m giving this book a solid 3/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐, BUUTTTT that’s only because it’s not something I would regularly re-read. That is not to say it won’t be a total 5/5 for someone else! 🤩📚

I absolutely loved the Grumpy x Sunshine dynamic 😠☀️. River is adorable with the cutest, most bubbly personality! 🫧✨ Easton is a hot grump who is secretly a little gumdrop on the inside—but only for River 🍬🫣. The love story overall is so sweet. Easton falling for River was just inevitable... I mean, who could resist that clumsy charm? 😅💘

I do wish we got a little bit more backstory for each character 🧠💭. There’s definitely potential for more books in this world! I’d love a little novella for Easton & River’s wedding—with River obviously planning the whole thing and (hopefully) not having to clean up a melted ice sculpture this time! 🧊💒💒

If you don’t enjoy reading M/M romance, then this book isn’t going to be for you 🚫. But if you’re down to step out of your comfort zone for a cute, slightly spicy read, then this is 100% the book I’d recommend to dive into that genre! 🌈✨🙌

[Lauralee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m relatively new to Jenn Plummer, having only started reading her work this year, but I’ve quickly become a huge fan. Not a Holiday Romance is a delightful read packed with so many of my favorite tropes.

The story follows Easton, who lives in a town where it’s Christmas all year round—a fact he absolutely hates. That changes when River, who is essentially Christmas incarnate, arrives in town. When the two end up snowed in together in Evergreen Hollow, Easton starts to realize that the town might not be so bad after all, while River clearly enjoys showing the grumpy local the magic of the season.

I loved the combination of age gap, strangers to lovers, forced proximity, and a bit of the only one bed trope—it really is a great holiday package. My only other note is that I would have loved to see River call Easton "Daddy" more often, especially during the spicy scenes because it was clear that Easton liked it.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, lighthearted holiday read. It’s a delightful slower burn that manages to be both cute and a bit spicy. It’s a true feel-good, Hallmark-style story that captures the Christmas season!

[Kristina · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Wow…
I’m obsessed with anything Jenn writes… but MAN!!! It makes me want to buy my hubby more flannel!! 😂😂

It’s crazy what life can bring you when you least expect it. Whether it’s loss, a need for a change, slow job, or just being lonely. That’s where Easton and River come in. Both men are in a standstill with life and need… something. Or someone?

Easton is dealing with feelings he hasn’t dealt with. Grief he hasn’t been able to feel. Realizing he is lonely and trying to come to terms with it, almost getting knocked out by what I can only describe as the jollyest little elf you could ever meet. 😂
Little does he know, helping this person will change his life.

River has snowball and Jasper. But he’s ready for love. Getting drunk and booking a trip to his happiest place on earth, a Christmas town 24/7, is his dream. His dream to find love will also come into play and he realizes the burley, grumpy, lumberjack he almost killed is the love of his life.

River is a lot! Like A LOT!!! But I love the difference between him and Easton. They definitely level each other out. Both their stories pull you in, especially Eastons.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ ( you definitely educated me 😂🥵🤯)

[Bobbie Mindus · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎄 Not a Holiday Romance by Jenn Plummer 🎄

Just finished Not a Holiday Romance, and let me tell you, this book has ALL the Christmas vibes! ❤️

The story follows River, who desperately wants to find his very own holiday romance. He's a full-blown Christmas fanatic, so when he meets Easton, the grumpy lumberjack who isn't exactly a fan of the holiday season, River makes it his personal mission to change that. What starts as an attempt to bring some Christmas magic into Easton's life turns into something neither of them expected… falling in love. 🥰

This holiday romance is packed with Christmas spirit, swoony moments, fantastic banter, laugh-out-loud moments, and just the right amount of spice. River and Easton make such a fun pairing, and watching their relationship unfold was an absolute delight.

If you're looking for a feel-good Christmas romance to add to your holiday reading list, this is definitely one to pick up! You won't be disappointed. Add it to your TBR today! 🎅🎄

Thank you to Jenn Plummer and The Smuthood for this wonderful opportunity. I received an advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Julian Leibach · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC received from The Smuthood*

“River crashed into my life at exactly the moment I needed him to, and I don’t want to go back to the way it was before him.”

OMG! This was the CUTEST little holiday romance! River has been obsessed with holiday romance stories for as long as he remembers and randomly books a trip to a Christmas town in Washington state. Easton is a grumpy lumberjack who, after some bad memories, does not celebrate Christmas anymore. They are brought together by a turn of events!

To be completely honest, I thought River was going to annoy the crap out of me after the first couple pages but I am so glad I was WRONG! River was so cute and I want to protect him from ever being hurt. Easton was so lovable too. I love that we truly got to see how sweet and special Easton is underneath the initial gruffness.

Content Warnings: Explicit language, explicit sexual content, death of a parent (off-page but mentioned)

Snowed in together
Christmas
Lumberjack x Wedding Planner
Grumpy x Sunshine
Age Gap

[Sarah Wood · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

🎄 MM Romance
❄️ Forced Proximity
🎄 Holiday Romance
❄️ Height Difference
🎄 Grumpy x Sunshine
❄️ Age Gap

ARC Review of “Not a Holiday Romance” by Jenn Plummer

Thank you Jenn and The Smuthood for letting me read this wonderful holiday story!

Combine a Hallmark holiday romance with yearning and spice, and you get this book.

River is an optimistic, wide-eyed, clumsy, Christmas-loving, often naive man on a mission to find his own holiday romance.

Easton is the big, burly, grinch (on the outside) who rescues River during a blizzard.

While this story only takes place over the span of a week, the buildup of the relationship and the growth of the characters feels natural. The love, understanding, and patience these two have for each other is so sweet.

There are plenty of antics, banter, and laughs to be had while reading this, but you also get very heartwarming, emotional scenes. And we can’t forget the spice. It’s a little slow burn, but once you reach the spice, it’s on full blast. This is a great book to kick off the holiday season.

[Tenisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC REVIEW✨

Eek! What a perfect holiday treat for the girl who watches Hallmark Christmas movies all year long. It's me, I'm the girl.

Not a Holiday Romance was a syrupy sweet romance that was packed with laughter, banter, and enough heat to warm up a cabin!

Insert River & Easton. I loved LOVED how pure River was. Even in his clumsiness and unpreparedness, you just want to bottle him up! I could feel his energy in every page. He was exactly the sunshine & holiday cheer Señor Grumpy Pants, Easton, needed. And Easton was just the protector and undercover sap River longed for.

I enjoyed watching their story unfold, seeing them share parts of their lives with each other and opening themselves up to true joy in the end. We all know how Hallmark movies begin and end. It's the ooey gooey Christmas cookie goodness in the middle that keeps up hooked. This was no different.

Thank you to Jennifer & The Smuthood for the opportunity. I canNOT wait for everyone to meet River & Easton 🎄❤️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

[Commamirandabooknerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review 📖
Not a Holiday Romance
Written by Jenn Plummer





These two are so popular opposites it's not even funny. Grumpy and sunshine at its finest. The river is the purest form of sunshine and lives and breathes Christmas.
Everything that could go wrong for him does go wrong but it never dampers his mood. He can't catch a break but honestly it is for the best when he crashes into Easton's life. The grump who can't help but think River is so cute regardless of how much of a menace he is to his life.


The nicknames, the flirting, River inner monologue and Easton quest the thing breathing in his chest. One 100% the Grinch vibes and River help Easton realize there is more to life than being alone. Beautiful story that hit me emotionally for both River and Easton.



Snowed in together
Christmas
Lumberjack x Wedding Planner
Grumpy x Sunshine
Age Gap
MM Romance





@authorjennplummer @thesmuthood
#smuthood #agegapromance #holidayromance #arcreader #romancebooks

[Erika · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

Not a Holiday Romance is the PERFECT read to get in the holiday spirit.

River is so completely adorable. His love of Christmas and just about life in general is so infectious. I literally wish I could have a little bit of his confidence. I had a smile on my face throughout the whole book. This is the perfect feel good book.

River's love of Christmas and his dream of his very own Christmas romance fueled his spiked eggnog induced mind. He spontaneously books a trip to Evergreen Hollow, unknowingly to him, he arrives just in time for a historic blizzard. Nothing seems to go as planned when he arrives.

In comes Mr. Grumpy pants Easton. Somewhat of a recluse, he really dislikes Christmas, for a very personal reason. He saves River when he ends up in a ditch and they become snowed in together. River eventually breaks Easton down enough for him to finally heal from his grief.

Thank you to The Smuthood for the ARC.