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Road Trip Romance #1
A Cross-Country Christmas
Lauren Richmond isn’t a fan of Christmas.
Which is why she rarely makes the trip home to the Midwest for the holidays. After all, she has plenty to keep her busy—namely, her duties as a set decorator on a TV sitcom.
But this December, Lauren‘s brother and his wife are expecting a baby, so her brother arranges a ride home for her with his good friend, Will.
Unfortunately for Lauren, she’s been trying to forget college baseball coach and childhood crush Will Sinclair for more than ten years.
Now, thanks to her fear of flying, she’s stuck in a car with him from California to Illinois.
She’s circumspect and organized. He’s flirty and spontaneous.
She’s convinced that people don’t change. He’s trying to prove to her (and himself) that he has.
On this cross-country road trip, they’ll both discover that history doesn’t exactly repeat itself. . . but like any good Christmas carol, it does have a second verse.
Which is why she rarely makes the trip home to the Midwest for the holidays. After all, she has plenty to keep her busy—namely, her duties as a set decorator on a TV sitcom.
But this December, Lauren‘s brother and his wife are expecting a baby, so her brother arranges a ride home for her with his good friend, Will.
Unfortunately for Lauren, she’s been trying to forget college baseball coach and childhood crush Will Sinclair for more than ten years.
Now, thanks to her fear of flying, she’s stuck in a car with him from California to Illinois.
She’s circumspect and organized. He’s flirty and spontaneous.
She’s convinced that people don’t change. He’s trying to prove to her (and himself) that he has.
On this cross-country road trip, they’ll both discover that history doesn’t exactly repeat itself. . . but like any good Christmas carol, it does have a second verse.
243 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2021
1834 people are currently reading
30848 people want to read
About the author
Courtney Walsh
37 books5,594 followersCourtney Walsh is a novelist, theatre director, and playwright. She writes low spice romance and women's fiction while juggling the performing arts studio and youth theatre she owns and runs with her husband. Her debut, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists. She is also a Carol award winner and Christy award finalist.
A creative at heart, Courtney has also written two craft books and several full-length musicals. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three children and a sometimes naughty Bernedoodle named Luna.
Visit her online at www.courtneywalshwrites.com.
A creative at heart, Courtney has also written two craft books and several full-length musicals. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three children and a sometimes naughty Bernedoodle named Luna.
Visit her online at www.courtneywalshwrites.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,954 reviews
December 16, 2024
Full of sexist bullshit!
Why are so many Christmas books so heavy with the chauvinism and misogyny? ‘Tis the season to return to the 1950s?
This was the 6th book in my ‘reading Christmas books with vintage red trucks on the cover’. I have come to the conclusion that if a Christmas book has a red truck on the cover you can be guaranteed it will not have any sex in it (or a red truck for that matter). That aside, this seems like a pretty good read overall but it was very traditional (traditional is code for old fashioned gender ideas and sexism). This was written recently but many of the sensibilities felt archaic. There were a few things and ideals that I think we need to yeet into the abyss.
For example:
1. Not like other girls heroine: I get why authors do this. They want to show how great and unique the heroine is however, is it possible to do this without tearing down all other women at the same time? Putting one woman (usually one kind of woman)on a pedestal sucks for all women. Saying the heroine doesn’t wear make up or has a natural look is fine. Suffixing it with ‘not like the women he was used to’ or ‘it was so refreshing considering women these days’ is shitty. Stop doing it.
2. Poor men mantra: writing a male character as being a nice guy who has trouble navigating the pitfalls of ‘todays world’ is ridiculous. There is not one thing about today’s world that is any more difficult for a man to navigate than in previous worlds. This ‘nice guys can’t get ahead’ rhetoric is toxic. Women like actual nice guys. Holding the door open or smiling at a woman will not land you in a #metoo lawsuit. It’s illogical and it just makes men look stupid and immature. Stop doing it.
3. Domestic chores are for everyone: I really want to one day be so lucky as to read a contemporary romance where we go to a family gathering and the men help in the kitchen and the women go talk about Serena’s latest tennis match, or anything. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of babies is work for all genders and I would LOVE to see it just naturally appearing in books. My Christmas family dinner isn’t complete if my dad hasn’t complimented his juicy turkey at least 12 times or if my husband hasn’t restocked the dishwasher behind me because I don’t do it properly. Write this please authors.
4. Diet culture: making a female character relatable by making her count calories or worry about them is something we need to leave in the 1990s. If your friends sit around joking about their thighs getting large if they finish their dessert, or how it must be nice for men to be able to eat whatever they want, they are relaying body shaming culture and pushing an idea that women should take up less space and should always be maintaining a certain image to remain sexually desirable. Stop doing this.
5. Use of the word ‘bimbo’ in regards to other women. Ya, no. Just no. Stop it!
Lastly and most appallingly:
6. Normalizing Sexual Assault on men. In this book Lauren holds a grudge against Will for over 10 years because on break from college she drives him home from a party while he is black out, staggering drunk and she fully sober. She helps him walk to his room and proceeds to kiss him and make out with him because she’s always crushed on him. He’s extremely drunk, did I point that out? She then builds castles in her head that they are starting a relationship and then has her hopes crushed later when a girl he is flirting with makes fun of her. He has NO MEMORY of their encounter. She then proceeds to hold a grudge for 10 years and treats him like garbage on a 7 day road trip until finally coming clean about why she dislikes him. He then proceeds to feel like absolute garbage and apologizes profusely for daring to be in the room with someone who said bad things about her and by kissing her and not remembering when he was black out drunk and she was sober and acting as his designated driver. Reverse roles here people, this is sexual assault, he cannot consent if he is not sober. This is 2022 (this was written last year) it’s time we apply consent rules across all genders. At no point does this book address the complete and utter terribleness of the FMCs actions here. Will apologizes. Will feels badly. Will had a drinking problem and sought help weeks after the incident. He has spent ten years being a solid guy. She has held this against him for ten years and not once did the author question that this bull shit was sexist and shitty as fuck! Nope.
This book could easily have these things edited out and tell the exact same story without pushing the ingrained societal misogyny.
Most people can read this type of book and not harp on this, not see a need to point this out or probably won’t notice it at all *it’s that insidious*. This was a very unmodern story and if you didn’t notice it, it kind of says a lot about you. It was so steeped in casual misogyny and sexism that I wanted to yeet it into the sun. Don’t believe me? Read my highlights.
So maybe for some, this was a sweet little story, remove the bullshit and join 2022 and I could recommended it.
Why are so many Christmas books so heavy with the chauvinism and misogyny? ‘Tis the season to return to the 1950s?
This was the 6th book in my ‘reading Christmas books with vintage red trucks on the cover’. I have come to the conclusion that if a Christmas book has a red truck on the cover you can be guaranteed it will not have any sex in it (or a red truck for that matter). That aside, this seems like a pretty good read overall but it was very traditional (traditional is code for old fashioned gender ideas and sexism). This was written recently but many of the sensibilities felt archaic. There were a few things and ideals that I think we need to yeet into the abyss.
For example:
1. Not like other girls heroine: I get why authors do this. They want to show how great and unique the heroine is however, is it possible to do this without tearing down all other women at the same time? Putting one woman (usually one kind of woman)on a pedestal sucks for all women. Saying the heroine doesn’t wear make up or has a natural look is fine. Suffixing it with ‘not like the women he was used to’ or ‘it was so refreshing considering women these days’ is shitty. Stop doing it.
2. Poor men mantra: writing a male character as being a nice guy who has trouble navigating the pitfalls of ‘todays world’ is ridiculous. There is not one thing about today’s world that is any more difficult for a man to navigate than in previous worlds. This ‘nice guys can’t get ahead’ rhetoric is toxic. Women like actual nice guys. Holding the door open or smiling at a woman will not land you in a #metoo lawsuit. It’s illogical and it just makes men look stupid and immature. Stop doing it.
3. Domestic chores are for everyone: I really want to one day be so lucky as to read a contemporary romance where we go to a family gathering and the men help in the kitchen and the women go talk about Serena’s latest tennis match, or anything. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of babies is work for all genders and I would LOVE to see it just naturally appearing in books. My Christmas family dinner isn’t complete if my dad hasn’t complimented his juicy turkey at least 12 times or if my husband hasn’t restocked the dishwasher behind me because I don’t do it properly. Write this please authors.
4. Diet culture: making a female character relatable by making her count calories or worry about them is something we need to leave in the 1990s. If your friends sit around joking about their thighs getting large if they finish their dessert, or how it must be nice for men to be able to eat whatever they want, they are relaying body shaming culture and pushing an idea that women should take up less space and should always be maintaining a certain image to remain sexually desirable. Stop doing this.
5. Use of the word ‘bimbo’ in regards to other women. Ya, no. Just no. Stop it!
Lastly and most appallingly:
6. Normalizing Sexual Assault on men. In this book Lauren holds a grudge against Will for over 10 years because on break from college she drives him home from a party while he is black out, staggering drunk and she fully sober. She helps him walk to his room and proceeds to kiss him and make out with him because she’s always crushed on him. He’s extremely drunk, did I point that out? She then builds castles in her head that they are starting a relationship and then has her hopes crushed later when a girl he is flirting with makes fun of her. He has NO MEMORY of their encounter. She then proceeds to hold a grudge for 10 years and treats him like garbage on a 7 day road trip until finally coming clean about why she dislikes him. He then proceeds to feel like absolute garbage and apologizes profusely for daring to be in the room with someone who said bad things about her and by kissing her and not remembering when he was black out drunk and she was sober and acting as his designated driver. Reverse roles here people, this is sexual assault, he cannot consent if he is not sober. This is 2022 (this was written last year) it’s time we apply consent rules across all genders. At no point does this book address the complete and utter terribleness of the FMCs actions here. Will apologizes. Will feels badly. Will had a drinking problem and sought help weeks after the incident. He has spent ten years being a solid guy. She has held this against him for ten years and not once did the author question that this bull shit was sexist and shitty as fuck! Nope.
This book could easily have these things edited out and tell the exact same story without pushing the ingrained societal misogyny.
Most people can read this type of book and not harp on this, not see a need to point this out or probably won’t notice it at all *it’s that insidious*. This was a very unmodern story and if you didn’t notice it, it kind of says a lot about you. It was so steeped in casual misogyny and sexism that I wanted to yeet it into the sun. Don’t believe me? Read my highlights.
So maybe for some, this was a sweet little story, remove the bullshit and join 2022 and I could recommended it.
November 21, 2022
they rlly couldn't think of a name more creative than Noel Joy?????? can't wait for their next child, Halloween Spirit and his twin sister Easter Sunday.
Cheese Level: 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀 (equivalent to a four-cheese baked mac and cheese) just for that name
Cheese Level: 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀 (equivalent to a four-cheese baked mac and cheese) just for that name
January 28, 2022
Oh, hello, adorable cover! I know Christmas has technically passed, but it wasn’t too late for me to read A Cross-Country Christmas!
Meet Lauren. She’s no fan of Christmas. She’s a set decorator for a TV show, and she’s busy, so she never goes home to the Midwest to see her family, especially not at Christmas.
This December is different, though. Her brother and his wife are having a baby, and they set up a ride home for her with Will, her brother’s best friend. It’ll be fun. It’s a road trip! And she knows Will. They have a bit of history.
The road trip banter was SO fun. Lauren and Will are opposites, and of course that’s important when you are stuck in a car with your opposite!
Courtney Walsh has delivered another solid, feel-good romance. I look forward to her newest book every time. The Christmas holiday aspects were super fun, the road trip made me want to take one asap, and the opposites attract, second chance romance is absolutely huggable and endearing. Love love love.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Meet Lauren. She’s no fan of Christmas. She’s a set decorator for a TV show, and she’s busy, so she never goes home to the Midwest to see her family, especially not at Christmas.
This December is different, though. Her brother and his wife are having a baby, and they set up a ride home for her with Will, her brother’s best friend. It’ll be fun. It’s a road trip! And she knows Will. They have a bit of history.
The road trip banter was SO fun. Lauren and Will are opposites, and of course that’s important when you are stuck in a car with your opposite!
Courtney Walsh has delivered another solid, feel-good romance. I look forward to her newest book every time. The Christmas holiday aspects were super fun, the road trip made me want to take one asap, and the opposites attract, second chance romance is absolutely huggable and endearing. Love love love.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
November 20, 2022
A CHRISTMAS ROMANCE I didn’t expect to love!🎄 A Cross-Country Christmas follows Lauren who needs a ride home for Christmas and her childhood crush is the lucky guy to give it.
Lauren really didn’t like Will at the beginning and she made that clear. It bothered me a bit, how rude she was. But as the story unfolded, I got to see more behind hers and his actions and it all made sense.
They take the long way and make a bunch of stops much to Lauren’s chagrin.
It was CLEAN. It was SWEET. It had family and love and forgiveness.
I really loved it.
Lauren really didn’t like Will at the beginning and she made that clear. It bothered me a bit, how rude she was. But as the story unfolded, I got to see more behind hers and his actions and it all made sense.
They take the long way and make a bunch of stops much to Lauren’s chagrin.
It was CLEAN. It was SWEET. It had family and love and forgiveness.
I really loved it.
February 21, 2022
i truly despise the rhetoric that people who like to be organised and don’t like a sudden change in their plans are “boring” and “uptight” and need to “loosen up”.
i have anxiety and OCD, bro. i still like to have fun and enjoy myself... but when you ruin the plans we agreed on and insist i should “go with the flow”, i promise you, im gonna be both our worst nightmares :)
other than that, this was cute and sweet, if not a lil cliche and cringey. but the sweet moments were adorable. i mean, the whole pony birthday cake truly had me in a chokehold, ngl. and i got a little misty-eyed at times, too. so it was a fun read to pass the time :)
even if i read a Christmas book in the middle of February.
i have anxiety and OCD, bro. i still like to have fun and enjoy myself... but when you ruin the plans we agreed on and insist i should “go with the flow”, i promise you, im gonna be both our worst nightmares :)
other than that, this was cute and sweet, if not a lil cliche and cringey. but the sweet moments were adorable. i mean, the whole pony birthday cake truly had me in a chokehold, ngl. and i got a little misty-eyed at times, too. so it was a fun read to pass the time :)
even if i read a Christmas book in the middle of February.
December 22, 2022
A road trip book with a second chance romance, and set at Christmastime? That's a hat trick, in my opinion. I was so looking forward to reading this book and it did not disappoint. Will was beyond charming. So adorable. Lauren was pretty prickly at first, but we know there are some traumatic experiences forming that wall. Nothing like a road trip to bring out that baggage. The stops they made along the way sound like delightful places to visit when I head west from Missouri someday soon. And then there's the secret sauce -- the My only teeny tiny complaint is the color and type of truck on the cover. The book describes Will as driving a black jeep Grand Cherokee. For the record, I vote for the cover.
November 20, 2021
Perfection!!!! 🎄🎄🎄
December 18, 2022
A five-star rating from me? A five-star rating from me for a Christmas book?
Either it’s a Christmas miracle or I’m just drunk on eggnog.
Finished this whole thing in one sitting. I know it’s relatively a short book but still, I didn’t even take a break to get myself coffee which is speaking volumes.
I generally don’t read romance, it’s not my thing. I only read romance during the holiday season because I want to get into the mood. So, I usually end up reading the famous books of that season and I thought it was one of them too. I could not believe my eyes when I saw that this book wasn’t viral or famous. It honestly should be.
I am a mean reviewer and I take pride in that. Writing a good review for a Christmas book and being nice in general is not a good look on me so I’ll keep this review short.
1) Lauren’s trauma caused by her family was intriguing and I honestly did want to know more about it. Apparently, this book is getting a sequel so fingers crossed the author will go more in depth about how their life was life or introduce us to the parents.
2) The last three chapters and the epilogue was a bit rushed which threw me off. This book is already short, I’d much rather have twenty more pages of good writing and a story with good rhythm than whatever that was. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen worse rushed endings but still. It would’ve been the perfect book if it wasn’t for those last parts.
3) As I mentioned, I read holiday books back to back during the season and one thing I noticed about this genre, in general, is that every time a person from the past of the MC is involved, the girl acts like the love interest murdered Santa himself, peed down their chimney and called her mother a bitch when in reality it’s not even a big of a problem. Lauren was not different. I won’t get into detail to keep this review spoiler free but honestly, these girls have to toughen up and get it together because you won’t survive in the real world like that.
These small issues were not enough for me to give this book any less than a five-star rating so they shouldn’t stop you from picking this up!
Either it’s a Christmas miracle or I’m just drunk on eggnog.
Finished this whole thing in one sitting. I know it’s relatively a short book but still, I didn’t even take a break to get myself coffee which is speaking volumes.
I generally don’t read romance, it’s not my thing. I only read romance during the holiday season because I want to get into the mood. So, I usually end up reading the famous books of that season and I thought it was one of them too. I could not believe my eyes when I saw that this book wasn’t viral or famous. It honestly should be.
I am a mean reviewer and I take pride in that. Writing a good review for a Christmas book and being nice in general is not a good look on me so I’ll keep this review short.
1) Lauren’s trauma caused by her family was intriguing and I honestly did want to know more about it. Apparently, this book is getting a sequel so fingers crossed the author will go more in depth about how their life was life or introduce us to the parents.
2) The last three chapters and the epilogue was a bit rushed which threw me off. This book is already short, I’d much rather have twenty more pages of good writing and a story with good rhythm than whatever that was. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen worse rushed endings but still. It would’ve been the perfect book if it wasn’t for those last parts.
3) As I mentioned, I read holiday books back to back during the season and one thing I noticed about this genre, in general, is that every time a person from the past of the MC is involved, the girl acts like the love interest murdered Santa himself, peed down their chimney and called her mother a bitch when in reality it’s not even a big of a problem. Lauren was not different. I won’t get into detail to keep this review spoiler free but honestly, these girls have to toughen up and get it together because you won’t survive in the real world like that.
These small issues were not enough for me to give this book any less than a five-star rating so they shouldn’t stop you from picking this up!
December 20, 2023
look, i love a grumpy girl but lauren's not grumpy, she's an asshole.
I know if you got into her head these would be her thoughts:
- oh my god, people are not one-dimensional??
- my assumptions about people I haven't seen in years might be wrong??
- it turns out not everything is about me??
- people get annoyed at me emphasising I'm not "like these other leggy blondie bimbos that throw themselves at Will"??
- people are not the same as they were ten years ago??
- it's wrong that knowing Will is nice and flirty to make people feel special and welcomed, I'm using that to fuel my womanizer assumptions about him??
- I'm supposed to feel embarrassed about the terrible things I've been thinking/saying to him, instead of getting mad at him??
- people are not the same as they were ten years ago??
- I can't hold Will accountable for that one night he can't remember because he was drunk off his ass when, on top of that, I took advantage of him too??
- I have to apologize for my nasty behavior after it took me 91% of the book to realize people can mature with time??
Be fucking for real. I was waiting for her to realize her assumptions about Will were wrong, apologize, and for them to build a nice romance together but this was not it. I skimmed the rest of the book after she "apologized" because there was no way for me to care about any of it.
Aside from the pick-me misogynistic line I mentioned, there were some other questionable ones but I can't even care to mention them. I've had enough of this book.
I know if you got into her head these would be her thoughts:
- oh my god, people are not one-dimensional??
- my assumptions about people I haven't seen in years might be wrong??
- it turns out not everything is about me??
- people get annoyed at me emphasising I'm not "like these other leggy blondie bimbos that throw themselves at Will"??
- people are not the same as they were ten years ago??
- it's wrong that knowing Will is nice and flirty to make people feel special and welcomed, I'm using that to fuel my womanizer assumptions about him??
- I'm supposed to feel embarrassed about the terrible things I've been thinking/saying to him, instead of getting mad at him??
- people are not the same as they were ten years ago??
- I can't hold Will accountable for that one night he can't remember because he was drunk off his ass when, on top of that, I took advantage of him too??
- I have to apologize for my nasty behavior after it took me 91% of the book to realize people can mature with time??
Be fucking for real. I was waiting for her to realize her assumptions about Will were wrong, apologize, and for them to build a nice romance together but this was not it. I skimmed the rest of the book after she "apologized" because there was no way for me to care about any of it.
Aside from the pick-me misogynistic line I mentioned, there were some other questionable ones but I can't even care to mention them. I've had enough of this book.
October 26, 2021
Oh, please let me give this book more than 5 stars! It just ticks all the boxes for a lovely, emotional, and heart fulfilling Christmas tale. I loved every single minute. Just every word. I was caught up from the beginning, and I love when that happens. Walsh has outdone herself with this one, folks. I burst into tears at one point and my poor husband was mystified at my crying. Soon those tears that were rolling down my cheeks were dripping onto my shirt. This one is most precious. So many heart-filling moments, and this one is one you will not soon forget. Destined for a reread every Christmas. If not sooner! Well done!
December 6, 2022
I adored this book so much. It was so cute and made my heart so happy. Reverse grumpy/sunshine and brothers best friend always puts a huge smile on my face. I just wish it was a little longer and that we got to see more of them as an actual couple. Nonetheless it was a fun read. 💚❤️
November 29, 2024
This started off so promising but then proceeded to piss me off. The 2 stars are for the dude having cute moments and then some of the end.
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This is a Holiday Buddy Read with Lindsey my love <3
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This is a Holiday Buddy Read with Lindsey my love <3
November 20, 2022
Unpopular opinion. I didn't like this book.
I just didn't like Lauren and I couldn't connect with her. Her rudeness to Will was off-putting, and her reasons for holding a grudge against him felt inane and illegitimate. I was in disbelief why Will wanted to be with her, and their coupling felt mismatched - not because of their personalities, but their character.
Aside from her treatment of Will, I still found myself frustrated by her behavior. For example, I was annoyed by the set-ups to Lauren's self-inflicted embarrassing moments in front of Will caused more by a lack of common sense than ignorance. Or when Lauren rushed to Will's door late at night asking for help, only to insist a few pages later that she could take care of herself. Things like that really bugged me.
All in all, this book wasn't for me.
I just didn't like Lauren and I couldn't connect with her. Her rudeness to Will was off-putting, and her reasons for holding a grudge against him felt inane and illegitimate. I was in disbelief why Will wanted to be with her, and their coupling felt mismatched - not because of their personalities, but their character.
Aside from her treatment of Will, I still found myself frustrated by her behavior. For example, I was annoyed by the set-ups to Lauren's self-inflicted embarrassing moments in front of Will caused more by a lack of common sense than ignorance. Or when Lauren rushed to Will's door late at night asking for help, only to insist a few pages later that she could take care of herself. Things like that really bugged me.
All in all, this book wasn't for me.
December 9, 2022
3.5 ⭐️ this was sweet but nothing too special. i didn’t really feel myself cheering for the couple. it was a fun read though. <3
November 19, 2023
Absolutely adorable ❤️ Review to come
December 14, 2021
These Christmas reads are giving me ALL the feels! I absolutely adored this story and the characters. It was wonderful!
December 26, 2021
This was a very enjoyable Christmas romance story. I liked Will pretty much from the start, though not so much Lauren. She's prickly and guarded and that goes double with respect to Will. But I warmed to her as she got over herself along the way. At least for a bit. And they fit really well together and I loved seeing them come to realize that.
Lauren is pretty much the only downside of the story, now I think of it. She's still scarred from her upbringing in ways that felt a bit of a stretch and I'm no sure I buy that she has had an unbroken string of nothing relationships for that long. Nobody is that monochromatic, or disciplined. Also, taking her history as written would make her a colossal jerk. So you pretty much have to treat it as surface as its given, though at least Walsh is writer enough that this isn't hard.
Harder to get past is whatever trauma was caused by Will when they were in college. He doesn't remember it, so his PoV is no help. And the thing is that I don't think the author realized how much Lauren's responses mirror sexual assault victims. Only. Not if you take into account her response to Will. I mean, her response is extreme and she's a bitter jerk to him for more than I'd like of the story. But it's not along the axis I feel it would have been if she actually feared him. So there's a disconnect or tension there that I desperately wanted cleared up. Or reassurance, maybe?
All of which is indicating this story is way darker than it actually is. It's an impactful road trip story and I loved seeing their personalities clash, bounce back, and learn to blend. Seriously, I like them together and I like even more what each brings to the other. And, as I said, Will is just dreamy.
Anyway, this comes out a solid four stars so yeah, not dark or tragic or that big a pain from the parts we don't get details of until near the end.
A note about faith: There are hints of faith in this, but nothing overt. I mention this because the author also writes explicitly Christian fiction, though I didn't remember that until after I'd finished and dug out a review I wrote of one of her previous books. It isn't obvious in this story and wanted to make that clear because one of the quotes I liked best (and tagged here on GR) is about forgiveness.
A note about Chaste: They a long way to go to achieve emotional intimacy during the course of this story and neither is the type (now) to engage with casual physical intimacy. So there's not even any kissing until the very end. So I consider this very chaste.
Lauren is pretty much the only downside of the story, now I think of it. She's still scarred from her upbringing in ways that felt a bit of a stretch and I'm no sure I buy that she has had an unbroken string of nothing relationships for that long. Nobody is that monochromatic, or disciplined. Also, taking her history as written would make her a colossal jerk. So you pretty much have to treat it as surface as its given, though at least Walsh is writer enough that this isn't hard.
Harder to get past is whatever trauma was caused by Will when they were in college. He doesn't remember it, so his PoV is no help. And the thing is that I don't think the author realized how much Lauren's responses mirror sexual assault victims. Only. Not if you take into account her response to Will. I mean, her response is extreme and she's a bitter jerk to him for more than I'd like of the story. But it's not along the axis I feel it would have been if she actually feared him. So there's a disconnect or tension there that I desperately wanted cleared up. Or reassurance, maybe?
All of which is indicating this story is way darker than it actually is. It's an impactful road trip story and I loved seeing their personalities clash, bounce back, and learn to blend. Seriously, I like them together and I like even more what each brings to the other. And, as I said, Will is just dreamy.
Anyway, this comes out a solid four stars so yeah, not dark or tragic or that big a pain from the parts we don't get details of until near the end.
A note about faith: There are hints of faith in this, but nothing overt. I mention this because the author also writes explicitly Christian fiction, though I didn't remember that until after I'd finished and dug out a review I wrote of one of her previous books. It isn't obvious in this story and wanted to make that clear because one of the quotes I liked best (and tagged here on GR) is about forgiveness.
A note about Chaste: They a long way to go to achieve emotional intimacy during the course of this story and neither is the type (now) to engage with casual physical intimacy. So there's not even any kissing until the very end. So I consider this very chaste.
December 4, 2024
➳ 3.5 ☆!🎄
my thoughts ꣑ৎ
➳ i honestly really enjoyed this! perfect way to start off my december month 🤭🫶 and of course, i do recommend! the was only a 244 page book so it was super easy to get done!! but you will catch me reading the second book ASAP ❄️
➳ my only complaint is that i wasn't really able to connect to the characters in the beginning and the fmc lowkey got me annoyed, BUT i did like her by the end. thats what character development is 🤷♀️🤷♀️ but yeah! i feel like romance books are only good when you LOVE the characters and feel deeply for them. this book was just for a happy and fun time 🫂 and i actually really liked the ending ! and luckily, there is some depth to the story. both characters go through their own things sooo!
➳ but yes i recommend!! is this the best book ever? no. but is it the worst? also no. and did i like it? yes!! happy reading guys ilysm, and 22 more days til christmas yay! 🤭🫶 i hope everyone's current reads are going well, tell me about em!!
quotes
➳ “flirts flirt. players play. charmers charm.
and girls like Lauren? They get their heart broken because they always
seem to try and give it to the wrong people."
➳ "i loved reading, and i know it sounds stupid, but the characters in the books i read became my best frieds. the only one who would never hurt me." | RELATABLE.
-------------------
❄️| preview!
what a perfect book to start off my december reads!! first off, happy december/holiday szn to everyone!! i cant believe we're already here but im so glad 🥹💗 to all my besties, you make reading so much fun, your presence here on this app does wonders 🫂🫶 and to those who celebrate - have a holly jolly christmas, xoxo gossip girl!! stay safe yall 💗
because he is a recipe for disaster. a literal recipe. two cups of charm, three ounces of inappropriate flirting, and a dash of simples make for a very, very broken heart.
my thoughts ꣑ৎ
➳ i honestly really enjoyed this! perfect way to start off my december month 🤭🫶 and of course, i do recommend! the was only a 244 page book so it was super easy to get done!! but you will catch me reading the second book ASAP ❄️
➳ my only complaint is that i wasn't really able to connect to the characters in the beginning and the fmc lowkey got me annoyed, BUT i did like her by the end. thats what character development is 🤷♀️🤷♀️ but yeah! i feel like romance books are only good when you LOVE the characters and feel deeply for them. this book was just for a happy and fun time 🫂 and i actually really liked the ending ! and luckily, there is some depth to the story. both characters go through their own things sooo!
➳ but yes i recommend!! is this the best book ever? no. but is it the worst? also no. and did i like it? yes!! happy reading guys ilysm, and 22 more days til christmas yay! 🤭🫶 i hope everyone's current reads are going well, tell me about em!!
quotes
“Yeah, I feel super sorry for you that you have to be locked in a car with a guy that looks like Chris Evans after the super soldier serum.”sorry this made me laugh 😭😭
➳ “flirts flirt. players play. charmers charm.
and girls like Lauren? They get their heart broken because they always
seem to try and give it to the wrong people."
➳ "i loved reading, and i know it sounds stupid, but the characters in the books i read became my best frieds. the only one who would never hurt me." | RELATABLE.
-------------------
❄️| preview!
what a perfect book to start off my december reads!! first off, happy december/holiday szn to everyone!! i cant believe we're already here but im so glad 🥹💗 to all my besties, you make reading so much fun, your presence here on this app does wonders 🫂🫶 and to those who celebrate - have a holly jolly christmas, xoxo gossip girl!! stay safe yall 💗
December 3, 2023
If he's drunk, he cannot give proper consent. He was so drunk, he didn't even remember what happened that night. So many issues with this.
November 26, 2023
Me, to this Christmas romance: Bah humbug.
Lauren Richmond is not a fan of Christmas. Or her birthday. Or spontaneity. She’s a bit of a type A curmudgeon, in fact. But her brother and wife are about to have their first baby this Christmas, back in Illinois, and they really want her to come home for it.
She hems and haws for so long that the only way left for her to make it home, as a person with a fear of flying, is to catch a ride with Will Sinclair, her brother’s best friend, who also happens to live in LA where she is.
She doesn’t want to ride with Will, there’s some history there that she hints at, but with no other options, into his car she goes. She quickly finds that Will is on a weeklong road trip and plans to stop along the way, stretching the journey into a week.
Will is kind, funny, self deprecating, and spends way too much time and headspace trying to pull Lauren into his happy bubble. I spent most of the book confused as to why he’d be interested in her.
This book doesn’t work for me at all because the two most basic conceits make no sense.
First, there’s NO other way to get to Illinois than plane or weeklong car trip? Don’t buy it. In this day and age, there are so many options. And with her brother’s wife about to pop, spending a week or more on the road feels wrong.
Secondly, and most problematic, is that Lauren doesn’t like Will because of something that happened between them when they were 18/19 years old. Lauren has known Will since they were small children, having grown up together. One drunken night after a party, Will says something that he forgets in the morning, and not only can Lauren never forgive him, she also lets this destroy her chances of any relationship as an adult. And, sure, there are obviously some things that would potentially create this kind of reaction, but seriously, a 19 year old drink guy said he liked her, they kissed, and in a hungover haze, he didn’t remember the next morning,
No.
Lauren comes off as an unsympathetic whiner with an unrealistic view of the world. It’s so annoying.
I read a lot of romances, for sure, but I also have expectations, not the least of which is that the premise be realistic.
Lauren Richmond is not a fan of Christmas. Or her birthday. Or spontaneity. She’s a bit of a type A curmudgeon, in fact. But her brother and wife are about to have their first baby this Christmas, back in Illinois, and they really want her to come home for it.
She hems and haws for so long that the only way left for her to make it home, as a person with a fear of flying, is to catch a ride with Will Sinclair, her brother’s best friend, who also happens to live in LA where she is.
She doesn’t want to ride with Will, there’s some history there that she hints at, but with no other options, into his car she goes. She quickly finds that Will is on a weeklong road trip and plans to stop along the way, stretching the journey into a week.
Will is kind, funny, self deprecating, and spends way too much time and headspace trying to pull Lauren into his happy bubble. I spent most of the book confused as to why he’d be interested in her.
This book doesn’t work for me at all because the two most basic conceits make no sense.
First, there’s NO other way to get to Illinois than plane or weeklong car trip? Don’t buy it. In this day and age, there are so many options. And with her brother’s wife about to pop, spending a week or more on the road feels wrong.
Secondly, and most problematic, is that Lauren doesn’t like Will because of something that happened between them when they were 18/19 years old. Lauren has known Will since they were small children, having grown up together. One drunken night after a party, Will says something that he forgets in the morning, and not only can Lauren never forgive him, she also lets this destroy her chances of any relationship as an adult. And, sure, there are obviously some things that would potentially create this kind of reaction, but seriously, a 19 year old drink guy said he liked her, they kissed, and in a hungover haze, he didn’t remember the next morning,
No.
Lauren comes off as an unsympathetic whiner with an unrealistic view of the world. It’s so annoying.
I read a lot of romances, for sure, but I also have expectations, not the least of which is that the premise be realistic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2022
I adored this. Couple of tears at the end but such a cute holiday romance.
December 19, 2021
Ho Ho Ho -- this one was such a fun to read from the first mile to the last. Lauren and Will were such adorable travelers on a week's trip cross-country home for the holidays -- one full of Christmas joy and the other a bit of a grump. And that book cover is so cute, too!
December 12, 2025
So we CAN write good romance books without sex! Hallelujah.
This was lovely. Finished it in less than 24 hours. Really loved that it talked so much about grace and forgiveness and it was just the perfect little holiday romance.
This was lovely. Finished it in less than 24 hours. Really loved that it talked so much about grace and forgiveness and it was just the perfect little holiday romance.
November 22, 2021
"Who says I want to be 'Just your friend?"
A world of emotions rushed at her, and she took a step back. "Knock it off, Sinclair. Your charm doesn't work on me."
What a gift this novel is! There is grace for our mistakes, and every once in a while, we all need a second chance. Beautiful! Courtney Walsh's Christmas story has completely, utterly, and wholly stolen my heart. (Or maybe that's Will- hello, Cap!) Yup. Swooning and fawning and falling for Will Sinclair.
Oh. Hi.
I LOVED Will and Lauren's banter. Their love-to loathe-to love relationship. I couldn't keep my eyes from welling with tears over this OTP! Spoiler: Cried two times. May or may not have ugly cried once. A Cross-Country Christmas is a book that romance readers will be rereading year after year.
❄️READ IF YOU LIKE ❄️:
-brothers best friend
-second chance romance
-forced proximity
-grumpy heroine x sunshine hero
-pride and prejudice
-Steve Rogers & Jake Ryan
-road trips
-Coke (cola, pop, soda- ya know!)
-Christmas traditions
-family dynamics, true love, and a reason to believe in miracles
-#IsThisAKissingBook: 18+ but pg-13 content. "She looked up at Will, whose eyes had filled with tenderness as he pressed a kiss to her forehead."
🎶 Song: All I Want For Christmas Is You by Ingrid Michaelson 🎶
Ps. It's not the holiday season without Mariah Carey, right?
... just putting it out there.
A world of emotions rushed at her, and she took a step back. "Knock it off, Sinclair. Your charm doesn't work on me."
What a gift this novel is! There is grace for our mistakes, and every once in a while, we all need a second chance. Beautiful! Courtney Walsh's Christmas story has completely, utterly, and wholly stolen my heart. (Or maybe that's Will- hello, Cap!) Yup. Swooning and fawning and falling for Will Sinclair.
Oh. Hi.
I LOVED Will and Lauren's banter. Their love-to loathe-to love relationship. I couldn't keep my eyes from welling with tears over this OTP! Spoiler: Cried two times. May or may not have ugly cried once. A Cross-Country Christmas is a book that romance readers will be rereading year after year.
❄️READ IF YOU LIKE ❄️:
-brothers best friend
-second chance romance
-forced proximity
-grumpy heroine x sunshine hero
-pride and prejudice
-Steve Rogers & Jake Ryan
-road trips
-Coke (cola, pop, soda- ya know!)
-Christmas traditions
-family dynamics, true love, and a reason to believe in miracles
-#IsThisAKissingBook: 18+ but pg-13 content. "She looked up at Will, whose eyes had filled with tenderness as he pressed a kiss to her forehead."
🎶 Song: All I Want For Christmas Is You by Ingrid Michaelson 🎶
Ps. It's not the holiday season without Mariah Carey, right?
... just putting it out there.
December 2, 2025
My Quick Takes:
- 5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Genre 📚 Christmas Romance
- Language 🤐 none
- Spice ❤️🔥 kisses only
- Content 🤔 divorce, themes of substance abuse, death of grandparent
Did I just find my favorite Christmas romance?!
I am, admittedly, still very new to the Christmas romance genre, but wow I loved this. The forced proximity, brother’s best friend, redemptive arc, witty banter, and character depth and development, it has it all.
It’s a shorter length, somewhere between a novella and a full length novel, making it a super fun book to read around the holidays. We all know how busy the holidays get, it’s nice to have a seasonal read that isn’t a big time commitment, but long enough to have a true range of emotions for the characters and reader.
I listened to this on audio, it’s dual narrated and I loved both the male and female narrators! Highly recommend the audiobook.
- 5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Genre 📚 Christmas Romance
- Language 🤐 none
- Spice ❤️🔥 kisses only
- Content 🤔 divorce, themes of substance abuse, death of grandparent
Did I just find my favorite Christmas romance?!
I am, admittedly, still very new to the Christmas romance genre, but wow I loved this. The forced proximity, brother’s best friend, redemptive arc, witty banter, and character depth and development, it has it all.
It’s a shorter length, somewhere between a novella and a full length novel, making it a super fun book to read around the holidays. We all know how busy the holidays get, it’s nice to have a seasonal read that isn’t a big time commitment, but long enough to have a true range of emotions for the characters and reader.
I listened to this on audio, it’s dual narrated and I loved both the male and female narrators! Highly recommend the audiobook.
November 1, 2023
Omg Lauren was completely unbearable. I have no idea why Will fell for her. She was so rude to him for something that happened many many years ago. And it was something that honestly I think she should be held more accountable for than him. He was extremely drunk and she drove him home, he kissed her, and she started making out with him. She basically took advantage of him while he was drunk and apparently wasn't smart enough to know that people say things/do things they don't mean or remember when they r that drunk. So she held a grudge against him all these years over it. Honestly pretty stupid.
Lauren is also extremely immature. Like holy smokes, she didn't grow up at all. Which is another reason why I think Will deserves better. He completely changed his life and bettered himself and she is just horrible, immature, and annoying. For instance, they r staying at a hotel in different rooms, she finds a spider in her room, races to his room and starts banging on the door to wake him up to kill the spider, then when he says she can come get him through the night if she needs him again, she's all like "I can take care of myself." Well if that's the case then why did u wake him up in the first place to help u. So dumb.
Because of how Lauren treated Will and acted in this book I just couldn't get on board with it. That's why I'm giving it a 1 star.
Lauren is also extremely immature. Like holy smokes, she didn't grow up at all. Which is another reason why I think Will deserves better. He completely changed his life and bettered himself and she is just horrible, immature, and annoying. For instance, they r staying at a hotel in different rooms, she finds a spider in her room, races to his room and starts banging on the door to wake him up to kill the spider, then when he says she can come get him through the night if she needs him again, she's all like "I can take care of myself." Well if that's the case then why did u wake him up in the first place to help u. So dumb.
Because of how Lauren treated Will and acted in this book I just couldn't get on board with it. That's why I'm giving it a 1 star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2025
This was a great book to start off my Christmas reading season!! I absolutely ADORED A Cross-Country Christmas! It had some of my favorite things: road trip, witty banter, Christmas, cute cover, and romance. I loved Will so much. He’s so amazing, and I loved seeing how he grew from his past mistakes. He could’ve just given up, but he didn’t. I loved him for that. I also loved all of his flirty and witty comments. He was just my favorite. He is definitely making the book boyfriend list! I liked Lauren a lot too. She could be funny at times, and I liked seeing her character growth as well. She could come off as really rude, but I understood it after reading more. That ending was so PERFECT. I rarely cry when reading books, but I did in the last three chapters or so because it’s such a beautiful ending. Once you find out why Will went on the whole road trip. You will just love Will even more. I highly recommend this book. This is my first book by Courtney Walsh, and it definitely won’t be my last! I read this on kindle, but I feel like I need a physical copy now because it was that good.
dnf
December 2, 2022dnf @ 17%
Both characters were insufferable, there were low key ableist (you like routine? You must be uptight and boring!) and sexist (‘She was probably one of those women who was insulted when a man tried to hold the door open for her. It was impossible to know how to act these days. He’d been taught to be a gentleman, but now that was insulting. And the last thing he wanted to do was insult a beautiful woman.’ - cry me a river, seriously) vibes, and when I read some reviews to decide if I should keep going and found out the reason Lauren’s holding a grudge, I knew it was well past time to put this down. We’re not about not taking accountability for taking advantage of drunk people when we’re sober just because we have a crush on them in this house, folks.
Both characters were insufferable, there were low key ableist (you like routine? You must be uptight and boring!) and sexist (‘She was probably one of those women who was insulted when a man tried to hold the door open for her. It was impossible to know how to act these days. He’d been taught to be a gentleman, but now that was insulting. And the last thing he wanted to do was insult a beautiful woman.’ - cry me a river, seriously) vibes, and when I read some reviews to decide if I should keep going and found out the reason Lauren’s holding a grudge, I knew it was well past time to put this down. We’re not about not taking accountability for taking advantage of drunk people when we’re sober just because we have a crush on them in this house, folks.
December 8, 2021
I adored this book! Heartwarming, funny and a little sad, this charming book is perfect for the holiday season. I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. I'll definitely be looking into other books by this author.
![Profile Image for Emily ✞ || [fallon's vrs].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1768506861i%2F182352191._UX200_CR0%2C13%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
December 27, 2025
⋮ ⌗ ┆✰ 3.5 stars || 16+
‧₊˚ ┊ The Review
⁀➷ What delightful holiday magic! Such a cute and endearing story, surely with its fluffy moments, but also with its more tender and soulful moments as well
I did enjoy that we got to discover what “That Night” was along with Will, which kept me intrigued and wanting to know what happened to them. This could come off as annoying to some, since you do not discover the incident that only Lauren remembers until abou the 75% mark.
I did find this a bit formulaic when it comes to the plots of other romcoms, especially when it comes to the overprotective brother, the eccentric friend who will drop anything for our protagonist, and the inevitable only-one-hotel-room available scene. Though I do appreciate there being no third-act breakup, even though the events concerning the third act most certainly justified it.
The emotional aspect of this was sweet, however, the tear-jerking moments, mostly about Will’s relationship with his grandfather, felt, to me, like it came out of nowhere. I would have appreciated some build-up or foreshadowing.
I did like that there was not a lot of focus on the characters’ physical appearances. In fact, it was only toward the beginning that there were comments about Will’s (of course) seemingly photoshopped abs, but after that, it was purely an emotional relationship with them coming to know each other, learning to truly care about one another, and forming a bond that goes past one’s physique.
This portion contains spoilers, read with caution.
There was one aspect I did not appreciate, per se. It by no means tainted my enjoyment of this book, but when we discovered what happened between Lauren and Will during college, I felt not enough blame was put on Lauren. Will was heavily intoxicated and barely able to stand up on his own, let alone think critically. So when Lauren drove him home from the party, brought him to his room, and he started telling her how pretty she was, she should have got up and left. But instead she lets him kiss her passionately on his bed in the dark. In a way, she took advantage of the fact that he was impaired, which is borderline assault.
Lauren is left completely blameless when she tells Will, and he is the one feeling completely responsible for why she has a chip on her shoulder. Of course, when he didn’t defend her at the following party, Lauren had every right to be mad at him, but holding him accountable for not calling her after the night he was extremely drunk was unfair. If roles had been reversed, for instance, it was Lauren who was drunk and Will who drove her home, him kissing her in the dark on her bed would have been seen as sexual assault, because you cannot give consent (whether it be kissing or something more) while you are impaired. Will could not give appropriate consent because he was drunk. I wish this would have been handled better, because it left a bad taste in my mouth.
The spoilers are over.
That being said, I’d say if you like the movies Christmas Vacation and Trains, Planes, and Automobiles, then I would recommend this! To me, it merges those two charming movies beautifully, wrapped up in a romantic bow.
꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷
‧₊˚ ┊ C.A.W.P.I.L.E Overview & Statistics
✐ᝰ Characters - 3.75/5
✐ᝰ Atmosphere - 3/5
✐ᝰ Writing - 3/5
✐ᝰ Plot - 3.5/5
✐ᝰ Intrigue - 3.75/5
✐ᝰ Logic - 4/5
✐ᝰ Enjoyment - 4/5
Average rating: 3.57 (rounded to .5)
Age rating: 16+ for some sexual content
Do I recommend? yes, selectively
To whom? to an older audience because of some content, and fans of the classic romcom. And most definitely for seasonal romance readers
» [I’ll Be Home For Christmas - Michael Bulbé] «
0:00 ─〇───── 0:00
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻
꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷
‧₊˚ ┊ Content
⭑.ᐟ Chirstian
A mention of God showing off when Will watches a sunset
⭑.ᐟ Violence
Lauren reflexively slaps Will in the face
⭑.ᐟ Sexual
1 almost detailed kiss; 1 semi-detailed kisses; 1 mildly detailed kiss; 3 non-detailed kisses; 2 forehead kisses; 1 knuckle kiss; 1 cheek kiss
Kisses in memories: 3 non detailed kisses; 1 mildly-detailed kiss which travel down Lauren neck to the back of her ear; a semi-detailed make-out on a bed that Lauren stops before it can go any further
5 uses of the word hot; 5 uses of the word bimbo; 1 use of the word sexy; 1 use of the word chick
Lauren's friend asks, “Are you going to almost touch his sweaty pecs like Peggy Carter did? Because I think you should almost touch his sweaty pecs like Peggy Carter did”; Lauren wonders what Will would look like with his shirt off and how well-defined his six-pack was and what they would feel like under her fingertips; Lauren sees Will without his shirt on for a moment before he puts on a shirt;
A mention of a dress hugging curves; a mention of Will looking like an underwear model; Will says he saw one of Lauren’s frilly pink bras hanging from a doorknob and she’s embarrassed
When there is only one hotel room and they get there, Will teases Lauren about the one bed, and asks her what side of the bed she wants and says they might wake up spooning, but he says he was just pushing her buttons and sleeps on the loveseat; Will takes a shower in the hotel room and Lauren has to stop herself from imaging Will in the shower; Lauren then sees Will in just a towel because he forgot to grab clothes and she throws him his clothes and turns away before he goes back in the bathroom; A mention that Lauren used to kiss her pillow and pretend it was Will
A mention of Will being a womanizing egotistical playboy; a mention of Lauren not having big enough boobs for Will to pay attention to her; Will says no boy was gonna date her in high school because they wanted only one thing and she wasn’t about that one thing; in the past Lauren hears Will say to a girl, “I can think of a million other things I’d rather be doing with you right now and none of them involves talking.”
A mention of a hook up; Lauren’s friend asks her if she hooked up with Will yet; a mention of a hooker; Will and Lauren go to a restaurant called “Big Mom’s Wigwams” and its logo is a wigwam with a woman’s rear end poking out of it; above the door to the kitchen in the restaurant is a three-dimensional womans behind
⭑.ᐟ Language
1 hell; 11 shut up; 5 heck; 1 what the heck; 15 stupid; 6 idiot; 3 loser; 2 darn; 5 jerk; 1 bozo; 2 tool; 1 spaz; 1 punk; 1 dork; 1 dumb
1 darn him; 1 dang; 2 dang it; 1 gosh; 10 oh my gosh; 1 sucks; 1 gee; 2 good grief; for Pete’s sake; 2 oh my goodness; 1 dumbly; 1 so help her God; 1 good lord;
⭑.ᐟ Substance Abuse
Many mentions of Will having been drunk in the past; mentions of alcohol; a mention of a kid on Will’s baseball team drunk dialing him; Lauren vowed to stay away from alcohol; a mention of looking for liquor; a girl’s name is Gin, and she says, “Gin, like the drink”; mentions in the past Lauren always being the designated drive for her drunk friends in college
⭑.ᐟ Magic
none
⭑.ᐟ LGBTQ+
none
⭑.ᐟ Other
A mention of underwear; a mention of dirty underwear; Lauren calls a coffee “nectar of the gods”
⭑.ᐟ Trigger
Absentee and divorced parents; a grandfather is sick; loss of a loved one
⋆⁺₊❅. “Please, Lauren,” Will said. “You know you’re not the kind of girl you date.”
“Ouch.”
He leveled her gaze. “You’re the kind of girl you marry.” ₊°｡❆
‧₊˚ ┊ The Review
⁀➷ What delightful holiday magic! Such a cute and endearing story, surely with its fluffy moments, but also with its more tender and soulful moments as well
I did enjoy that we got to discover what “That Night” was along with Will, which kept me intrigued and wanting to know what happened to them. This could come off as annoying to some, since you do not discover the incident that only Lauren remembers until abou the 75% mark.
I did find this a bit formulaic when it comes to the plots of other romcoms, especially when it comes to the overprotective brother, the eccentric friend who will drop anything for our protagonist, and the inevitable only-one-hotel-room available scene. Though I do appreciate there being no third-act breakup, even though the events concerning the third act most certainly justified it.
The emotional aspect of this was sweet, however, the tear-jerking moments, mostly about Will’s relationship with his grandfather, felt, to me, like it came out of nowhere. I would have appreciated some build-up or foreshadowing.
I did like that there was not a lot of focus on the characters’ physical appearances. In fact, it was only toward the beginning that there were comments about Will’s (of course) seemingly photoshopped abs, but after that, it was purely an emotional relationship with them coming to know each other, learning to truly care about one another, and forming a bond that goes past one’s physique.
This portion contains spoilers, read with caution.
There was one aspect I did not appreciate, per se. It by no means tainted my enjoyment of this book, but when we discovered what happened between Lauren and Will during college, I felt not enough blame was put on Lauren. Will was heavily intoxicated and barely able to stand up on his own, let alone think critically. So when Lauren drove him home from the party, brought him to his room, and he started telling her how pretty she was, she should have got up and left. But instead she lets him kiss her passionately on his bed in the dark. In a way, she took advantage of the fact that he was impaired, which is borderline assault.
Lauren is left completely blameless when she tells Will, and he is the one feeling completely responsible for why she has a chip on her shoulder. Of course, when he didn’t defend her at the following party, Lauren had every right to be mad at him, but holding him accountable for not calling her after the night he was extremely drunk was unfair. If roles had been reversed, for instance, it was Lauren who was drunk and Will who drove her home, him kissing her in the dark on her bed would have been seen as sexual assault, because you cannot give consent (whether it be kissing or something more) while you are impaired. Will could not give appropriate consent because he was drunk. I wish this would have been handled better, because it left a bad taste in my mouth.
The spoilers are over.
That being said, I’d say if you like the movies Christmas Vacation and Trains, Planes, and Automobiles, then I would recommend this! To me, it merges those two charming movies beautifully, wrapped up in a romantic bow.
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‧₊˚ ┊ C.A.W.P.I.L.E Overview & Statistics
✐ᝰ Characters - 3.75/5
✐ᝰ Atmosphere - 3/5
✐ᝰ Writing - 3/5
✐ᝰ Plot - 3.5/5
✐ᝰ Intrigue - 3.75/5
✐ᝰ Logic - 4/5
✐ᝰ Enjoyment - 4/5
Average rating: 3.57 (rounded to .5)
Age rating: 16+ for some sexual content
Do I recommend? yes, selectively
To whom? to an older audience because of some content, and fans of the classic romcom. And most definitely for seasonal romance readers
» [I’ll Be Home For Christmas - Michael Bulbé] «
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‧₊˚ ┊ Content
⭑.ᐟ Chirstian
A mention of God showing off when Will watches a sunset
⭑.ᐟ Violence
Lauren reflexively slaps Will in the face
⭑.ᐟ Sexual
1 almost detailed kiss; 1 semi-detailed kisses; 1 mildly detailed kiss; 3 non-detailed kisses; 2 forehead kisses; 1 knuckle kiss; 1 cheek kiss
Kisses in memories: 3 non detailed kisses; 1 mildly-detailed kiss which travel down Lauren neck to the back of her ear; a semi-detailed make-out on a bed that Lauren stops before it can go any further
5 uses of the word hot; 5 uses of the word bimbo; 1 use of the word sexy; 1 use of the word chick
Lauren's friend asks, “Are you going to almost touch his sweaty pecs like Peggy Carter did? Because I think you should almost touch his sweaty pecs like Peggy Carter did”; Lauren wonders what Will would look like with his shirt off and how well-defined his six-pack was and what they would feel like under her fingertips; Lauren sees Will without his shirt on for a moment before he puts on a shirt;
A mention of a dress hugging curves; a mention of Will looking like an underwear model; Will says he saw one of Lauren’s frilly pink bras hanging from a doorknob and she’s embarrassed
When there is only one hotel room and they get there, Will teases Lauren about the one bed, and asks her what side of the bed she wants and says they might wake up spooning, but he says he was just pushing her buttons and sleeps on the loveseat; Will takes a shower in the hotel room and Lauren has to stop herself from imaging Will in the shower; Lauren then sees Will in just a towel because he forgot to grab clothes and she throws him his clothes and turns away before he goes back in the bathroom; A mention that Lauren used to kiss her pillow and pretend it was Will
A mention of Will being a womanizing egotistical playboy; a mention of Lauren not having big enough boobs for Will to pay attention to her; Will says no boy was gonna date her in high school because they wanted only one thing and she wasn’t about that one thing; in the past Lauren hears Will say to a girl, “I can think of a million other things I’d rather be doing with you right now and none of them involves talking.”
A mention of a hook up; Lauren’s friend asks her if she hooked up with Will yet; a mention of a hooker; Will and Lauren go to a restaurant called “Big Mom’s Wigwams” and its logo is a wigwam with a woman’s rear end poking out of it; above the door to the kitchen in the restaurant is a three-dimensional womans behind
⭑.ᐟ Language
1 hell; 11 shut up; 5 heck; 1 what the heck; 15 stupid; 6 idiot; 3 loser; 2 darn; 5 jerk; 1 bozo; 2 tool; 1 spaz; 1 punk; 1 dork; 1 dumb
1 darn him; 1 dang; 2 dang it; 1 gosh; 10 oh my gosh; 1 sucks; 1 gee; 2 good grief; for Pete’s sake; 2 oh my goodness; 1 dumbly; 1 so help her God; 1 good lord;
⭑.ᐟ Substance Abuse
Many mentions of Will having been drunk in the past; mentions of alcohol; a mention of a kid on Will’s baseball team drunk dialing him; Lauren vowed to stay away from alcohol; a mention of looking for liquor; a girl’s name is Gin, and she says, “Gin, like the drink”; mentions in the past Lauren always being the designated drive for her drunk friends in college
⭑.ᐟ Magic
none
⭑.ᐟ LGBTQ+
none
⭑.ᐟ Other
A mention of underwear; a mention of dirty underwear; Lauren calls a coffee “nectar of the gods”
⭑.ᐟ Trigger
Absentee and divorced parents; a grandfather is sick; loss of a loved one
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