Zakochanych Świąt

by Abby Jimenez, Katarzyna Bieńkowska (Translator)

Abby Jimenez w najbardziej świątecznym wydaniu: zabawna, romantyczna i rozczulająca. Bo czasem najlepszy prezent czeka tam, gdzie najmniej się go spodziewamy.

Anna była przekonana, że jedyną katastrofą podczas tegorocznej kolacji będzie przypalone danie, dopóki w drzwiach nie stanął jej były chłopak ze szkoły. Aby uniknąć dociekliwych pytań rodziny i uratować wieczór, oboje postanawiają udawać idealną parę.

Matty nie ma najmniejszej ochoty spędzić całego dnia w restauracji w stroju zombi-Mikołaja (co jest opłakaną konsekwencją przegranego zakładu). Jednak pewna urocza oraz dowcipna kelnerka może sprawić, że szybko zmieni zdanie.

Lauren próbuje za wszelką cenę wybić przyjaciółce z głowy pomysł ślubu po zaledwie trzydniowej znajomości. Czy zdoła zachować rozsądek w słynącym ze swojej bajkowej magii miasteczku Little Christmas, gdy na jej drodze stanie czarujący drużba?

Trzy historie, trzy nieoczekiwane spotkania i trzy miłości, które przypominają, że najpiękniejsze rzeczy przychodzą do nas zupełnie nieplanowane.

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Holiday, Audiobook, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Short Stories

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2026

About the author

Abby Jimenez is a Food Network winner, #1 New York Times best selling author of Just for the Summer, and recipient of the 2022 Minnesota Book Award for her novel Life's Too Short. Her book Yours Truly was the first romance novel in the history of Book of the Month to win the coveted Dolly Award for Book of the Year. Abby founded Nadia Cakes out of her home kitchen back in 2007. The bakery has since gone on to win numerous Food Network competitions and, like her books, has amassed an international following.

Abby loves a good romance, coffee, doglets, and not leaving the house.

Reviews

[Emma Aakre · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I want to share how I got my hands on this ARC!

My husband and I were doing yard work one evening when a couple pulls up to our Little Free Library. The woman comes out and informs me that Abby had posted a video showing her dropping a signed copy in my library! I follow Abby and would have seen it myself but since we were doing lawn work I didn’t have my phone on me! We basically jumped for joy together and shared the excitement. She gave me her phone number and was nice enough to pass the book along to me when she was done. I am giving it back to her so she can pass it along to her friends!

On to the book, I loved it! I prefer romance books to be on the shorter side so I really enjoy romance novellas. All three stories were fun and sweet, the perfect cozy holiday book. I want to visit Little Christmas! I liked the ties between each story.

I will be trying some of the recipes too ❤️

Thank you Abby for sharing your ARCs in the community and shoutout to my neighbor for passing it along to me! A little Christmas spirit in May ☺️

[levi (starboy) (s.ia)]

Why is Christmas stuff defrosting its only august 💔 I’m not complaining tho

[Alya | short TBR clearance era · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Thoughts | 4.5 ⭐️
I really enjoyed this, the three Christmas stories were so cute, especially the third one I wish it was longer, this book delivers exactly what it says, the feel-good vibes were everything, in true Abby Jimenez fashion even with somewhat short stories. If you're looking for a feel-good cosy holiday read away from the heaviness of life for a few hours be sure too add this to your Christmas TBR!

My Ranking
1. Marry Little Christmas
2. Stealing Christmas
3. Sweater Weather

Tropes and themes:
▪︎ Second chance romance
▪︎ Fake dating
▪︎ Meet cute with a zombie Santa
▪︎ Allies to lovers
▪︎ Christmas town setting

Plot Summary
Sweater Weather: Anna unexpectedly reconnects with Jeremy, her high school ex, at a family Christmas gathering. To avoid awkward questions, she pretends they're back together. As they spend more time together, old feelings resurface, giving them a chance at a second shot at love.

Stealing Christmas: After losing a bet, Matty must spend Christmas dressed as a zombie Santa. While working through his punishment, he meets Rhiannon, a waitress whose ex has stolen her cat. Matty helps her get the cat back, and their chaotic adventure sparks an unexpected romance.

Marry Little Christmas: Lauren travels to Little Christmas to stop her best friend from marrying someone she's only known for three days. She teams up with William, the groom's best friend, to prevent the wedding. But as they work together, they develop feelings of their own and begin questioning whether love at first sight might actually be real.


My Bookstagram

[aira]

I can't believe we're closer to Christmas of this year than New Year's...where is time going?

[Ali Lockhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review TK

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was delightful. It was the most fun Christmas themed book that I have ever read. Grandma is amazing, she made me miss mine. The ugly Christmas sweaters the sax player revenge costume were totally outrageous. Enjoy!

[Aqsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

guys this was suchhh a cute book 🥹 me and my best friend always watch cringy holiday hallmark movies together in the winter, and this book sooo reminiscent of that.

for those wondering, this book follows 3 different short romance novellas, each with completely new characters. the characters are all connected and related to each other in some way tho so it was really fun seeing those connections between the stories and watching everything come together. I also really liked that each novella had its own romance and storyline while still feeling like part of the same little world.

I personally loved the 2nd novella the best!! it was definitely the cutest one to me. matty was soo shy and awkward and I literally loved him. overall this was such a fun and cozy read, especially if you love holiday romances, hallmark movies, small-town vibes, and a little bit of cheesy romance.

and lastly, I NEED to try some of the recipes in the back. definitely going to be attempting a few of them this winter!!

thank u to Forever & Abby Jimenez for the ARC!!

[Genevieve (GenLikesToRead)]

An Abby Jimenez Christmas Novella may heal me

[sabrina (books.with.sabrina) · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Overall this was super cute, cozy and fun! I loved how all the stories/characters were interconnected somehow, which made the little easter eggs really fun.

📖 Sweater Weather
✨ Rating: 4.5⭐️
📚 Favourite Quote: "The only thing the world taught me is there’s nothing and nobody as good as you."

In the package:
📦 second chance
📦 childhood friends to lovers
📦 fake dating for the night

Thoughts: This was my favourite short story! If you know me, I am a sucker for the second chance trope and this story was adorable! Loved the family chaos and overall Christmas vibes in this one.

📖 Stealing Christmas
✨ Rating: 4⭐️
📚 Favourite Quote: "I lay there, listening to his heartbeat, completely and totally content."

In the package:
📦 strangers to lovers
📦 forced proximity
📦 cat rescue

Thoughts: Such a cute and hilarious story. I adored how sweet and caring Matty was and would’ve totally read a full-length novel about these two characters!

📖 Married Little Christmas
✨ Rating: 4⭐️
📚 Favourite Quote: "I think we’d live happily ever after, sleigh or not. In every dimension."

In the package:
📦 roommates to lovers
📦 best man x maid of honour
📦 small town

Thoughts: This one was very much giving cliché Hallmark Christmas movie and now I totally want to move to this little town. This was the longest story so it definitely felt better developed!

Thank you HBG Canada, Forever and NetGalley for the ARC!

✩⁺₊✩☽⋆ follow me on instagram ⋆☾✩⁺₊✩

[Keila (speedreadstagram) · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

Oh gosh I needed these stories in my life. This book features 3 interconnected short stories that were all so heartfelt and just all around wonderful. Each story was touching and really had a lot of heart. In the forward Abby mentions that these stories aren’t as emotional as her novels, so tell me why some of them made me tear up? And I’m not a teary eyed type person. Either way, I’m going to say that really gets to how well these are written and just how much heart they have despite being short stories. I loved all the characters and what Abby did with them. If you love Abby’s books, you’ll love these short Christmas themed stories.

[Anila · Rating 2.75 out of 5]

This was cute and quirky but none of the stories really stood out to me

[Luce · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

A Married Little Christmas by Abby Jimenez is the perfect festive read!

This novella features three interlinked Christmas themed romances that were all so much fun to read and made me want to put up my Christmas tree.

Abby Jimenez is an auto buy author for me, and her humour shines through in every story she writes. I don't think I've ever read one of her books without smiling like an idiot.

A fun and heartwarming festive read, perfect for those wanting a quick and enjoyable read!

I received an advanced copy for free through the publisher (Little Brown Book Group) and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Violet · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This holiday novel features three interconnected stories set in the cozy town of Little Christmas. The plots revolve around an unexpected reunion between exes, a meet-cute after a lost bet, and two friends teaming up to handle the chaos of their friends' sudden wedding. Overall, it offers a light winter escape, but some of the bonus features didn't work for me.

My Rating: 3.5 / 5

[AOKayy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Abby Jimenez for the ARC of A Married Little Christmas.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Abby Jimenez will always be one of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint! This collection features three Christmas novellas, each following a different couple.

Abby opens the book with an author's note, mentioning that she wanted to keep these stories light, fun, and free of anything too heavy. She absolutely succeeded! These novellas were laugh-out-loud funny while also giving me all the warm, cozy, giddy holiday feelings. I loved all three couples, and even though the stories were short, I found myself completely invested in each one.

That said, the third story was my all-time favorite! I could have easily read an entire series about that couple. I was cackling the entire time…I couldn't stop laughing!

If you're looking for a fun holiday read, look no further! This collection has everything from a second-chance romance to a meet-cute with a Zombie Santa, plus a reluctant-allies-to-lovers romance set in a charming small Christmas town.

Thank you, Abby, for this special treat. I love everything you write, and this was such a perfect holiday collection. I had already preordered my copy before receiving this ARC, and I definitely plan to reread it when it's released!

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Married Little Christmas by Abby Jimenez 🎄❤️

If you’re looking for something lighthearted and festive to get you into the Christmas spirit, this adorable little book might be just the thing!

First of all, the physical edition is absolutely charming, with cute illustrations and beautiful sprayed edges. It’s the kind of book that practically begs to be tucked into a Christmas stocking.

The book features three interconnected romantic short stories, and I thought the third was definitely the strongest. Imagine a Hallmark Christmas movie, but told from the perspectives of the maid of honor and best man, who are both convinced that their friends have completely lost their minds by getting engaged after knowing each other for THREE DAYS. 😂

One of Abby Jimenez’s greatest strengths as a writer is her ability to create witty, natural dialogue and genuinely funny banter, and that talent is on full display here. The chemistry between the characters is easy to feel, even with such limited page time.

My one complaint is that I missed the actual process of falling in love. That’s often my favorite part of a romance, and with short stories, there’s simply not enough room to develop those relationships as fully as I’d like.

Still, this was sweet, funny, and thoroughly entertaining. It’s not particularly deep, nor is it trying to be. Sometimes you just want a little holiday romance with charming characters, ridiculous circumstances, and a guaranteed dose of Christmas cheer.

A delightful little seasonal read for fans of Christmas romcoms! 🎁✨

[Kristina Nichole]

wait.... what???

This was added under the radar...... three novellas?? I wonder if this will be the three storylines continued on from her prior works or new characters?

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story 4 feel good stars. Narration 5 full cast stars
Essentially this was three short stories that take place at Christmas and one even takes place in a town named Christmas. There’s also a stolen cat named Christmas in another. It was just one of those charming holiday books that’s embodies everything good about Christmas. And of course each has a new romance. That’s all I have to say except people should read this if they enjoy sweet romances. For ages 13+ or 14 depending on maturity level. Just my opinion. No sexual situations, but there is some talk about it.

[Tania · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

A very quick and easy festive read. I enjoyed all three of these sweet, connected Christmas novellas, but I actually missed the deeper issues Abby Jimenez usually includes in her full-length books. Without that contrast, everything felt a little too Hallmark-y for my taste.

To be fair, the author explains that this was completely intentional because she didn’t want anyone crying at Christmas — which makes perfect sense. I must just be a bit of a Christmas grouch.

[LeserinLu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich hatte richtig viel Spaß mit diesem Buch! Die Geschichten sind herrlich weihnachtlich, aber erfreulicherweise überhaupt nicht so kitschig, wie man es bei diesem Setting vielleicht erwarten könnte. Stattdessen nimmt sich der Roman selbst nicht allzu ernst. Die Dialoge sind witzig und schlagfertig, und immer wieder gibt es originelle Details, mit denen ich nicht gerechnet hätte. Allein die Ankündigung einer Katzenrettung mit Saxophon macht doch neugierig!

Auch die drei Liebesgeschichten haben mir gut gefallen. Es gibt süße Begegnungen, romantische Momente und jede Menge Situationskomik. Besonders schön fand ich, dass das Buch ganz ohne Spice auskommt und stattdessen auf Humor und sympathische Figuren setzt. Genau mein Ding!

Für mich ist A Married Little Christmas eine wunderbare Lektüre für die Weihnachtszeit: unterhaltsam, charmant und selbstironisch, mit allem, was ich mir von einer romantischen Weihnachtsgeschichte wünsche, nur eben ohne übertriebenen Kitsch. Wer Lust auf gemütliche Lesestunden, witzige Dialoge und mehrere süße Liebesgeschichten hat, sollte sich dieses Buch unbedingt anschauen.

[Prologues and Prosecco · Rating 4 out of 5]

These three novellas are the perfect way to get ready for the holiday season! All three of these stories felt like they could be adapted into a Hallmark movie, and that is everything I didn't even know I needed right now! Abby can do no wrong in my eyes, but I would love her to write a full Christmas novel!

[Kate G · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Charming.

[Kianna · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first story was okay, but I felt like Anna was so freaking selfish. Your boyfriend got into his dream school and it was a full ride!? I know your mom was going through cancer, but come on! If you really loved him, you would have understood he had to go. I didn't like the second one and thought it was kinda weird. The last one was just corny and unbelievable. 

Overall, I felt like all of the stories didn't have any depth to them and felt random.

[Holly Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect set of holiday novellas! And of course it was fully of Abby’s classic humor and heart! She’s always able to create such a fully formed universe, and that was still very true here! I loved seeing parts of the other stories in the one I was reading! This was very fun! Very lighthearted! The perfect book for the holidays!!

And really shout out to my library for the day of Libby loan!! My physical copy will be here soon and I can’t wait to see all of Maya’s art in person!!

Sweater Weather

A holiday themed second chance is quite possibly the best thing ever! The nostalgia of the holiday, and adding in your ex you still VERY MUCH love!! Literally I loved Anna and Jeremy so much!

Stealing Christmas

This one was a silly goofy one in the best way! Abby’s books are always a good time, but it’s not often we get JUST a good time?! Like there was no big emotional thing happening and truly it was such a good time! Matty and Rhiannon were a perfect match!

A Married Little Christmas

VERY CUTE! I think I liked this one the best! It felt like a classic hallmark movie in the best way! Lauren and William were literally such a perfect match! I loved the little bit of Abby magic she was able to weave into this one!!

[Felly ◡̈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love everything Abby writes. A bit early but was loving the Christmas vibes! Adorable couples and stories.

Maya’s drawings made the book come to life too, really enjoyed having the visuals throughout!

[April Kreiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.

Only Abby Jimenez has the power to sneak in during the first week of fall and pull me from the deep trenches of planning my spooky season TBR to engage in reading... a Christmas themed collection of novellas.

Admittedly, I am not the usual targeted audience for a novella. I find that it takes me a bit to connect with the characters and I am almost always left with the feeling that the story was either incomplete, or rushed to the ending. Trust when I say that A Married Little Christmas is the exception.

The author has such an innate ability to almost immediately find a way to connect the reader with her characters - a talent that leaves me in utter awe every time I pick up one of her books. I kid you not when I say that I probably care about Anna, Jeremy, Rhiannon, Matty, Lauren and William more than I do some of my own family members. The three stories were super cute and flowed from page to page, always managing to wrap up into quite unique gifts for the reader. And, the biggest surprise for me, personally?? The town of Little Christmas!! It did not make me feel like puking - instead I found myself wishing it was real. Knowing that I can never visit is my ONLY disappointment here.

Abby ... my queen ... you did it again. The only thing that could make me love you more is a Halloween themed novella in 2027. Think about it. Thanks.

[Amanda Blanche · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute short collection of 3 novellas all centered around Christmas. I enjoyed how all three stories connected through character or location. Low spice, more about that holiday yearning and romance. Enjoyed the art as well!

We have one couple that is a childhood sweethearts on a second chance romance. Another who meets and bonds over bets and pancakes. And the third who meet in the most Christmas town ever, a couple of skeptics who are made believers.

Overall, it’s a cute read, the second story “Stealing Christmas” was my favourite. It was alright but far from being one of my favourite books from her, I think I’m more of a full length story kind of girl, I just need more.

[Kayne Spooner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Christmas treat! The illustrations by Maya Jimenez (the author’s daughter) are festive and gorgeous, the stories are uplifting and funny, and there are even recipes at the end. There are three novellas, each with its own couple, and some of the characters and places intertwine throughout.

In the first story, Anna is celebrating Christmas early with her family and secretly orders take-out to avoid getting food poisoning from her sister’s cooking. When she goes outside to intercept the delivery, the driver turns out to be Jeremy, her high school ex. It’s been ten years since they last saw each other - then her family comes outside to look for her!

I usually have one standout story in an anthology, but these were all favorites. There’s a Pancake Disco with 30 pancake options - yum, a Zombie Santa costume, a Christmas cat, a bet gone wrong, and witty zingers that made me laugh. My full review will be at Spoonerreads.com this week.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 funny and sweet holiday short stories with a touch of romance. Thought the first 2 were the most fun, the last one was Christmas on steroids 😃. As a bonus the author shares 6 comfort food recipes her characters enjoyed.

[January · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Married Little Christmas by Abby Jimenez, illustrated by Maya Jimenez, cover illustration by Sarah Kellogg (2026)
vii+261-page Kindle Ebook story pages 1-242

Genre: Novellas, Humor, Contemporary Romance, Holiday > Christmas

Movie Rating Equivalent: PG-13 for adult content

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🦃☃️🥞👨🏼‍⚕️🎁🐈‍⬛️🎷🎄

Entertaining Holiday Stories Lacking Jimenez's Usual Emotional Depth

A Married Little Christmas follows families over the holidays with interconnected short stories spanning from Thanksgiving to New Year's. There are 11 illustrations, and although they started off a bit fun, I could have honestly done without them. There is also a handful of book-related recipes in the back, and if you get the audiobook, there is an exclusive interview.

​Sweater Weather: Not quite 5 stars, but close enough. I enjoyed the humor, but I felt like some of the story was missing, even for a short story. I just didn't feel their love. Since I've felt it with other short stories, it felt like it was just missing, as if we were told instead of shown.

​Stolen Christmas: This was the best one, and the grandmas are trying to steal the show! However, I did find two out of the three illustrations attached to this story to be a little cringy.

​Marry Little Christmas: This story was actually the one that kicked off the entire idea for this book, and it was the one I liked the least. It was the most complex of the stories, and I believe it is also the longest, but it just felt kind of formulaic and a little too polished. I enjoyed it, but I found myself waiting for it to be over already.

​Overall, this is a fun little anthology collection, but it is overly predictable. There is absolutely no spice, and I am not complaining about that at all, but it seemed like there was a lot more humor than romance going on. All of the relationships felt instantaneous without any real emotions behind them, so it didn't read like her full-length novels. It is fine; these are decent stories, and I am still going to give it five stars because I did enjoy it and was thoroughly entertained. I just know there are authors who are able to convey as much emotion in a short story as they do in a novel, so it felt like these novellas were missing that emotional depth for me.

​Recommend to others: Absolutely, especially if you are an Abby Jimenez fan. You know exactly what you are going to get, and she delivers, except she dials back on the emotional connections with the characters and the trauma.

Featuring: Table of Contents, Author’s Note, Content Guidance - Past Cancer Recovery, Stolen Pet, Loss of Loved One, Past Death from Cystic Fibrosis; Black & White Illustrations, Second Chance - High School Sweethearts, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Family Dynamics, Siblings, Thanksgiving Dinner, Inappropriate Grandmas, Bets, Cat, Friendships, Dog, Crude Humor, Community, Recipes, Acknowledgments, Publisher Link, Author’s Links, Bibliography for Abby Jimenez, Raising Readers Ad

Memorable Quotes: “Sorry,” I whispered. “I love my sister, but I cannot afford to get food poisoning right before Christmas.” “Is it that bad?” “The smoke alarm has gone off twice. I watched her cut the lettuce with the same knife she used to cut the raw bacon, and I’m pretty sure she thawed the turkey on the counter for the last two days. I try to tell her and she gets mad.”

[Michelle McW · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!! I LOVED this Christmas-themed short story compilation that was all intertwined! What a great little Christmas read to get the reader in the Holiday Spirit! Am I biased because it’s Abby Jimenez? Do I love the included recipes at the back, for some of the delicacies mentioned in the stories? Of course! I know this girl can write and cook first hand!

Some fourteen years ago, my girls and I were in Palmdale, CA for State-Cup soccer playoffs. A group of 11-12 year old girls, their soccer moms, and I decided to try this little bakery “IG FAMOUS” for winning Cupcake Wars on the Food Network. Being a Sunday, we arrived after they had closed for the night. Thinking this was going to end in tragedy (aka tears & no cupcakes) we were flabbergasted to see a sweet bakery worker coming to unlock the door and let us in. It was none other than “Nadia Cakes” owner herself, one Mrs Abby Jimenez…….I didn’t know that at the time. We quickly all chose a delicious cupcake, paid and left Abby Jimenez and her lone employee to finish working. We devoured the scrumptious sweets outside on her patio. It was such an act of kindness and one that left a permanent impression on me. Now I’m fully vested in everything Abby.

Abby Jimenez is a nice person; who writes kind-hearted, sweet romances. Go read this one now, and fall in love with the endearing characters like I did. This book is described as a novella, you will love it, I promise. There are many laugh out loud moments, certainly needed during the holidays with our families!!!

A special shout out to Estelle (@Forever Publishing), Forever Publishing, Net Galley & Abby Jimenez for the gift of this eARC. Reading this made me exited, and got me in the Holiday Mood. I’m especially eager for Abby’s next book and inspired to try some of the recipes found at the back of the book. All opinions and thoughts are my own. Thank you.