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Most Wonderful
"Instant Hallmark Christmas movie classic." - Amazon Review
"This was surely one of the best Christmas stories ever!" - Amazon Review
Emilia Marin thinks Christmas and the holidays are a waste of time. She’s way too busy to think about gingerbread houses and trees and carols. Instead, she’s running a successful indie bookstore, which is exactly as difficult as it sounds.
Cody Nowak loves every holiday tradition, but baking at her uncle’s shop is one of the best. Which is exactly why she’s taking a few weeks hiatus from her role as a paramedic to help him at the bakery. She is definitely not harboring any secrets about why she was put on forced temporary leave.
When Cody realizes that Emilia hates Christmas –– like Ebenezer Scrooge levels of hate –– she decides that making Em love Christmas is exactly the distraction she needs. Will Cody be able to melt Emilia’s ice queen exterior with ice skating, hot cocoa, and tree decorating?
Or will larger problems arise when they realize that what they each most want threatens to tear them apart?
This is a full-length standalone holiday romance packed with all of the warm fuzzy feelings. You know the ones. Grab your cocoa (peppermint schnapps optional) and a cozy blanket to cuddle up and watch the yuletide get real gay.
"This was surely one of the best Christmas stories ever!" - Amazon Review
Emilia Marin thinks Christmas and the holidays are a waste of time. She’s way too busy to think about gingerbread houses and trees and carols. Instead, she’s running a successful indie bookstore, which is exactly as difficult as it sounds.
Cody Nowak loves every holiday tradition, but baking at her uncle’s shop is one of the best. Which is exactly why she’s taking a few weeks hiatus from her role as a paramedic to help him at the bakery. She is definitely not harboring any secrets about why she was put on forced temporary leave.
When Cody realizes that Emilia hates Christmas –– like Ebenezer Scrooge levels of hate –– she decides that making Em love Christmas is exactly the distraction she needs. Will Cody be able to melt Emilia’s ice queen exterior with ice skating, hot cocoa, and tree decorating?
Or will larger problems arise when they realize that what they each most want threatens to tear them apart?
This is a full-length standalone holiday romance packed with all of the warm fuzzy feelings. You know the ones. Grab your cocoa (peppermint schnapps optional) and a cozy blanket to cuddle up and watch the yuletide get real gay.
198 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2019
135 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
About the author
Bryce Oakley
24 books257 followersBryce grew up in the mountains of Colorado with a taste for adventure and a head full of clouds. She never grew out of either. She lives in Denver with her partner, two adorable rescue dogs, and a very opinionated cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
November 29, 2020
3.5 Stars - a cute, quick Christmas read
Enjoyable Christmas romance. I think the blub described one of the characters as an "ice queen", but if you measure your ice queens against, say, Mirands Priestly, than Emilia doesn't really come close to ice queen status. And that's fine. She is a bit of a bah-hum-bug about Christmas and has a business mindset and she seems like a very nice person. Cody is also just a dream boat so you are rooting for them the whole time. The angst didn't really make sense to me because I didn't understand why they wouldn't just immediately take about the situation. It resolves quickly so - whew. It ties up nicely with a one year later epilogue.
Enjoyable Christmas romance. I think the blub described one of the characters as an "ice queen", but if you measure your ice queens against, say, Mirands Priestly, than Emilia doesn't really come close to ice queen status. And that's fine. She is a bit of a bah-hum-bug about Christmas and has a business mindset and she seems like a very nice person. Cody is also just a dream boat so you are rooting for them the whole time. The angst didn't really make sense to me because I didn't understand why they wouldn't just immediately take about the situation. It resolves quickly so - whew. It ties up nicely with a one year later epilogue.
May 31, 2020
A quick, short read which I really enjoyed. Would have loved greater back story- especially Frankie & what it was like joining such a dysfunctional family - but I lived it & had it been longer it would have been 5* I'm sure.
December 5, 2019
A nice, queer Christmas romance… but also a little bit underwhelming. There are some swoony, steamy moments and a good helping of holiday cheer. But I wish there had been a little bit more time setting up the two different women before they met and started falling for each other. Because this is such a short book it just felt really rushed. Also, some of the conflicts felt pretty contrived.
I definitely wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it, but it also wouldn’t be my first recommendation.
I definitely wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it, but it also wouldn’t be my first recommendation.
did-not-finish
December 2, 2020DNF about halfway. I just felt no connection for the love interests and couldn't care if I tried.
Honestly 'Cody' with her aloof personality annoyed me, especially after this:
She liked that Emilia seemed like the type of person who wouldn't press her to go on when she didn't want to explain. So many women she’d met asked things like "What are you thinking?" exactly when she didn't want to answer, for fear that she’d have to admit she was actually thinking about snowflakes or chocolate croissants or sex instead of anything deep and meaningful.
Shallow.
Honestly 'Cody' with her aloof personality annoyed me, especially after this:
She liked that Emilia seemed like the type of person who wouldn't press her to go on when she didn't want to explain. So many women she’d met asked things like "What are you thinking?" exactly when she didn't want to answer, for fear that she’d have to admit she was actually thinking about snowflakes or chocolate croissants or sex instead of anything deep and meaningful.
Shallow.
August 9, 2020
Excellent character development, delightful dialogue, and just plain good storytelling.This is a must read Christmas story. I will read more from this author.
February 1, 2021
There are some books that are not awful enough to DNF and still make you struggle to finish them. This is one such book mainly because everything about it – the attraction between the MCs, the conflict – seems forced.
Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...
Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...
November 25, 2019
A breezy, quick read. I wish I liked it more, but the characters felt pretty thin and the conflict felt manufactured rather than organic. There were also some glaring errors that could've been caught by a careful proofreading. I'd read more by Oakley in the future.
November 29, 2023
3,5/5
I'm so proud of myself for finishing reading this,not because it was hard to read but because I barley have to do anything this days,and I'm so grateful I could enjoy this book.
But I already expected that from Bryce Oakley,I knew this was gonna be sweet and fun,and I was right.
Their relationship was at moment too sweet ,can't believe I'm Jealous at some fictional characters, but also they need a better moment at getting back together, they should had tried talking before letting something happened, they always had serious conversations in the last minute.
I'm so proud of myself for finishing reading this,not because it was hard to read but because I barley have to do anything this days,and I'm so grateful I could enjoy this book.
But I already expected that from Bryce Oakley,I knew this was gonna be sweet and fun,and I was right.
Their relationship was at moment too sweet ,can't believe I'm Jealous at some fictional characters, but also they need a better moment at getting back together, they should had tried talking before letting something happened, they always had serious conversations in the last minute.
August 20, 2020
This is a sweet holiday romance with a certain amount of melodrama and a low level of angst. There is nothing terribly complicated and it all works out to the expected HEA.
December 5, 2019
Loved It!
This story had me from the first chapters describing Cody and Emilia. I knew from those first words this was going to be a one sitting read. The writing depicted the chemistry and then the connection and ultimately the love that was felt between Cody and Emilia. I loved how the story came together and definitely gave me that feel good feeling of a love story I enjoyed. A Must Read! Definitely going to check out more of Bryce Oakley’s books.
This story had me from the first chapters describing Cody and Emilia. I knew from those first words this was going to be a one sitting read. The writing depicted the chemistry and then the connection and ultimately the love that was felt between Cody and Emilia. I loved how the story came together and definitely gave me that feel good feeling of a love story I enjoyed. A Must Read! Definitely going to check out more of Bryce Oakley’s books.
December 22, 2020
Christmas romance
Where can you go wrong with a Christmastime romance that has a baker and a bookstore owner? Bryce Oakley has another awesome novel to put you in the holiday spirit.
Just have to add I have an absolutely love and OMG did she really just do that moment at the end. Definitely worth the read and look forward to it each year.
Where can you go wrong with a Christmastime romance that has a baker and a bookstore owner? Bryce Oakley has another awesome novel to put you in the holiday spirit.
Just have to add I have an absolutely love and OMG did she really just do that moment at the end. Definitely worth the read and look forward to it each year.
December 19, 2019
Most Wonderful by Bryce Oakley is a sweet f/f Christmas romance, like Hallmark movie sweet. Except it might be another hundred years before Hallmark dares have 2 girls kiss IN one of their movies. (Y’all heard about the Hallmark/Zola crap right?)
Emilia is a Scrooge, completely focused on growing her bookshop, with no time for a personal life. She meets Cody who works in the bakery next door. Cody is feeling a bit lost, and doesn’t think she’ll be sticking around long. Neither woman is prepared to find love, but Christmas works its magic on them. Of course there is conflict, but after really only reading YA LGBTQ books, it was such a lovely thing that the conflict had nothing to do with their sexuality or discrimination. 🙌🏻
I’ve tried a few adult f/f romances in the past and writing has always been subpar and I’ve DNFd most of them. 😕 But this story, while a bit convenient, is well paced and plotted. The setting was so charming and the cast of characters was great. There are a couple of steamy scenes, which in comparison to m/f scenes were not super steamy, but obviously this sub genre isn’t for everyone.
Emilia is a Scrooge, completely focused on growing her bookshop, with no time for a personal life. She meets Cody who works in the bakery next door. Cody is feeling a bit lost, and doesn’t think she’ll be sticking around long. Neither woman is prepared to find love, but Christmas works its magic on them. Of course there is conflict, but after really only reading YA LGBTQ books, it was such a lovely thing that the conflict had nothing to do with their sexuality or discrimination. 🙌🏻
I’ve tried a few adult f/f romances in the past and writing has always been subpar and I’ve DNFd most of them. 😕 But this story, while a bit convenient, is well paced and plotted. The setting was so charming and the cast of characters was great. There are a couple of steamy scenes, which in comparison to m/f scenes were not super steamy, but obviously this sub genre isn’t for everyone.
April 24, 2020
Emilia, co-owner of the bookstore Between the Covers (love the title) doesn't like anything about Christmas. A self-proclaimed "Scrooge," her bookstore is all that matters. However, right next door is Cody, who is temporarily working at her uncle's bakery. Now she loves everything about Christmas, every single tradition possible. Can these two possibly become friends, and perhaps even more?
This is the first book I've read of Ms. Oakley's and I really enjoyed her writing style, her 2 POVs, her charming, yet deep main characters, and her fun, supportive secondary characters. When you read this, you're sure to want friends like Frankie and Nico. Frankie's story would make a great sequel. This author has a wonderful way of telling the story about real people with painful issues using compassion and snappy dialogue. It's a great book for Christmas, or any time of the year. I'm excited to read another book from this talented author!
This is the first book I've read of Ms. Oakley's and I really enjoyed her writing style, her 2 POVs, her charming, yet deep main characters, and her fun, supportive secondary characters. When you read this, you're sure to want friends like Frankie and Nico. Frankie's story would make a great sequel. This author has a wonderful way of telling the story about real people with painful issues using compassion and snappy dialogue. It's a great book for Christmas, or any time of the year. I'm excited to read another book from this talented author!
November 29, 2020
I'll be honest, I'm kind of an Emilia as I don't celebrate anything and Christmas is far the least of anything for me. I selected this book because I had read something else from this author and decide it would be a nice quick read, but when I realized that it was a Christmas love story - I almost opted to skip it... not to mention my sister (who LOVES Christmas, if she could do it year round she would) making fun of me and asserting that she is converting me ... lol
Although I'm still not a Christmas fan, I did enjoy this lovely story, not to mention all the cravings I has with all the baked goods being mentioned. I cried at "Katies Corner" and felt my heart swell at the gesture. Would have given it 5 stars but it is a Christmas Story :-)
Although I'm still not a Christmas fan, I did enjoy this lovely story, not to mention all the cravings I has with all the baked goods being mentioned. I cried at "Katies Corner" and felt my heart swell at the gesture. Would have given it 5 stars but it is a Christmas Story :-)
November 23, 2021
A short little romance set around Christmas time. The characters felt well developed for the shorter length of the book. The "I love yous" came pretty quick considering, but the author did well to make sure the relationship was quite healthy so the quick progress did not bother me that much. It is important to note that the one MC reads less like an ice queen and more as a misunderstood neurodivergent surrounded by neurotypicals.
I did deduct a star because I felt like the book could have gone through another edit. It was clear earlier versions were written in first person and some of that language still lingered.
I did deduct a star because I felt like the book could have gone through another edit. It was clear earlier versions were written in first person and some of that language still lingered.
January 2, 2022
A compelling love story …
Beautifully written journey of Cody and Emilia. Their characters were strong and relatable. The secondary characters were just as strong and relatable. Love found its way into the hearts of two women who thought love was only for other people. But learning to trust, take down years of built up walls, and open their hearts to scary new beginnings, Cody and Emilia were perfect for each other. The ending was tearfully amazing! A very good read. I heartily and enthusiastically recommend this and any other works by this author. You won’t be disappointed. Thank you Peace
Beautifully written journey of Cody and Emilia. Their characters were strong and relatable. The secondary characters were just as strong and relatable. Love found its way into the hearts of two women who thought love was only for other people. But learning to trust, take down years of built up walls, and open their hearts to scary new beginnings, Cody and Emilia were perfect for each other. The ending was tearfully amazing! A very good read. I heartily and enthusiastically recommend this and any other works by this author. You won’t be disappointed. Thank you Peace
September 30, 2021
I didn't have huge expectations for this holiday romance from Bryce Oakley. The last couple of her books I've read have been just okay. I enjoyed this one more and gave it a higher rating. Emilia Marin runs a bookshop in Denver with her cousin and friend. She is all business and doesn't let her guard down till she meets Cody at the bakery next door. Cody is working in the bakery her uncle owns while taking a break from being a paramedic. There is some minimal drama involving Cody's past but it doesn't take long to bring some romance and Christmas spirit to Emilia.
December 1, 2019
I loved it. Emilia’s and Cody’s relationship going deeper throughout the book made me ship them even more. The ending made my jaw drop. Exact opposite of what I thought was going to happen. The fact that you could read from both of their perspectives made it even better. There’s always two sides of a story. Why not read both. This was by far the best book I’ve read in a long time. 15/10 would recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2019
I'm not much of a crier, but the ending to Most Wonderful did such a great job of pulling together so many of the threads from the book that I have to admit that it pulled a couple from my eyes.
A bookstore, a bakery, some Christmas, and some love… every ingredient came together in a way that felt real, embracing what we were reading it for, without dropping into cookie-cutter cliché.
A bookstore, a bakery, some Christmas, and some love… every ingredient came together in a way that felt real, embracing what we were reading it for, without dropping into cookie-cutter cliché.
May 15, 2020
A bookstore owner and a paramedic meet.
The paramedic is on extended leave due to an accident that she no control over but stills feel responsible. She returns home and encounters the local book store part owner. Together they create headaches toward each other but soon learn that some things you can control if you learn to to listen. Enjoy!
The paramedic is on extended leave due to an accident that she no control over but stills feel responsible. She returns home and encounters the local book store part owner. Together they create headaches toward each other but soon learn that some things you can control if you learn to to listen. Enjoy!
May 26, 2020
Another hit!
I’ve read all of Bryce’s books and I enjoy her style and pace. This book did not disappoint! It had a good pace and a compelling plot while also making the conflicts authentic and the hea come naturally. I can’t wait until she releases another book and I highly recommend all of her work to anyone looking for a relaxing sweet and a little spicy wlw romance!
I’ve read all of Bryce’s books and I enjoy her style and pace. This book did not disappoint! It had a good pace and a compelling plot while also making the conflicts authentic and the hea come naturally. I can’t wait until she releases another book and I highly recommend all of her work to anyone looking for a relaxing sweet and a little spicy wlw romance!
November 17, 2019
Very good Christmas romance.
I love a good Christmas romance. This was a sweet romance. The characters are very likable. Highly recommend this book. Thanks a very enjoyable book
I love a good Christmas romance. This was a sweet romance. The characters are very likable. Highly recommend this book. Thanks a very enjoyable book
November 25, 2019
A real fluffy lesbian romance that is a quick read and will make you feel all warm inside because it has everything to do with pastries and books and Christmas. The main characters could have been a little less predictable, maybe connected a little bit better, but in all kept my attention!
July 15, 2020
This could've been better edited. There were too many instances of the text suddenly and randomly switching to the first person point of view which were distracting and irritating.
That said, the story was sweet.
That said, the story was sweet.
December 3, 2020
Another great one
A perfect holiday story! If you like Christmas or not, you will enjoy this book. I really like all the books I’ve read by the author. I like that I always laugh out loud with her books. I highly recommend anything by Bryce Oakley.
A perfect holiday story! If you like Christmas or not, you will enjoy this book. I really like all the books I’ve read by the author. I like that I always laugh out loud with her books. I highly recommend anything by Bryce Oakley.
November 10, 2021
Yesss
Absolutely delighted with this xmas romance. The plot was solid and the characters are cute and full of life.
The spice is 🔥🔥🔥/🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. This is a FF book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend for a fun holiday read.
Absolutely delighted with this xmas romance. The plot was solid and the characters are cute and full of life.
The spice is 🔥🔥🔥/🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. This is a FF book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend for a fun holiday read.
November 29, 2021
Wonderful Story
It was a great romantic romp. Had never read Bryce before but will try more. Loved Austen the dog. As I really look for Jane Austen references. What a great name for a dog in a book shop!
It was a great romantic romp. Had never read Bryce before but will try more. Loved Austen the dog. As I really look for Jane Austen references. What a great name for a dog in a book shop!
December 23, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. I’m surprised at the low ratings actually. The main characters had lots of chemistry and it was fun witnessing their romance at it grew. The supporting characters were hilarious. I really enjoyed it and plan to read more by Oakley.
November 3, 2019
Ok
It was an ok read passed a few hours on a wet Sunday afternoon with nothing much on tv worth watching
It was an ok read passed a few hours on a wet Sunday afternoon with nothing much on tv worth watching
November 28, 2019
Read it in one day could not put down!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews