The Best Worst Christmas

by Kate Forster

Lily is back from Australia for the first time in seven years to spend Christmas at her mum’s house in a small, gossipy English village. To her surprise, she returns to find that her mother is dating the man next door, who also happens to be the father of her ex-boyfriend Tom. Tom, who broke Lily’s heart all those years ago. Tom, the real reason Lily fled to the other side of the world and stayed there. Tom, who is also home for Christmas and right there, next door.

In what is shaping up to be the worst Christmas ever, somehow Lily and Tom have to try to get along and play happy families, but living with the man who she is clearly not over is proving to be difficult, and tensions are high. Add in some drunken caroling, a reindeer bite, a potent Christmas pudding and some meddling parents and Lily’s trip home will turn her entire life upside down.

Genres: Audiobook, Romance, Christmas, Holiday, Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit

5 pages, Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Novelist.

Reviews

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great surprise! 🎁

I'd never read anything by this author, but while browsing Audible this one caught my attention. Why? Based on the title, cover, and synopsis ... I thought this might be a fun and quirky story. Lucky for me, it's exactly that 😁.

Full review at LucyKnowsThings.com.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is exactly what I wanted it to be - a fun, light-hearted Christmas romance with second chances, elves and reindeer bites. The characters were fine, if a little one note, but overall this was just sugary enough for me to enjoy without being too saccharine with some genuinely funny moments. I just don't think it will stick with me for very long.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. Cute. Cute. ❤️ This was my last “Hallmark Christmas Movie” book for the season. 🎅🏻🎄 I’m glad it was a cute one! There were some laugh out loud moments, making for a enjoyable romcom. Merry Christmas ya’ll!! ✨

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful second chance romance! Could feel the yearning between them and I laughed out loud several times! The writing was beautiful and witty. Rachael Tidd's narration was superb! Finished in one day.

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, light-hearted, tad predictable but enjoyable Christmassy read.

[Katy O. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored this sweet Christmas audiobook! It was long for a novella, short for a novel but was just the right lengths for the story. Not sappy or immature like so many of the Christmas romances I’ve been reading this year ~ just an adorable second chance romance with so much family ❤️ So happy it was included in my Audible subscription and I can’t wait to listen to more Kate Forster stories!

[Leslie Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️
2025- It’s now a tradition to read this story during the holidays.
2024 - Read this last year and quite enjoyed it. So to get in the holiday spirit I read it again.

A fun, light, and quick read I definitely recommend.

[Lorna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story 3.5 stars. Narration 4.5 stars
This was the second Christmas novella by this author that I’ve listened to in the last 2 days. It was a cute listen, but maybe not quite as good as The Christmas Star from yesterday so I rated it accordingly.

It’s about a woman that moved from a small village in England to Australia seven years previously. She’s not been home since-due to her heartbreak after breaking up with the guy next door that she dated all through high school. She’s never gotten over it. Of course, he’s not over it either and the break up reasons were not as clear and honest as the heroine thinks. Miscommunication trope-not really a fan. She makes a surprise visit home for Christmas.It was a pretty good
listen, just not the best of the two.

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ * · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was actually so much better than expected??? omg the angst here was just sooo good. i think once the couple got together in the end the kind of lost their spark a bit what WOW. this even had my favorite thing where someone is like “i know your secret” and the person almost confessed their feelings but it turns out it was a different secret. there was even a bit of a plot twist in the end.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

After moving to Australia for new job opportunities seven years ago, Lily Baltin has returned to England to visit her mother for the holidays. When she arrives, Lily learns that her mother is dating Barry Pritchard, her next-door neighbor. He also happens to be the father of Tom Pritchard, Lily's ex-boyfriend. Tom is the reason Lily hadn't returned home for seven years. And he is also home for the holidays to visit his father. It looks like the worst Christmas ever will have Lily and Tom thrown together at every chance.

This second chance romance was a cute Audible original Christmas story. The parents were amusing and the reindeer bite scene was hilarious. My rating: 3.5 Stars.

[Loredana (Bookinista08) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and funny, but also has some more serious undertones about childhood trauma and depression. Very enjoyable listening experience.

[Lee at ReadWriteWish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure if I should be classing this as a read in 2021 or 2022 as I only read about one chapter on New Year's Day and the rest previously... Oh well...

This is a freebie on Audible and would be very readable as a novella if it ever gets published that way. As an audiobook I wasn't entirely convinced the narrator was the right choice as her accent was not that appealing. (And an odd choice if this Rachael Tidd is the same Tidd who is an Australian actress.)

The plot basically just uses the 'forced to live together' trope. Lily returns from Australia to surprise her mum for Christmas, only to find her living with Barry, her neighbour, meaning Lily is forced to live with Barry's son and her ex, Tom.

The book started well. I enjoyed the first part immensely and even laughed out loud on several ocassions. However, its entertainment factor did start to wan (and this is probably why it took me so long to finish). There seemed to be a bit of repetition (to pad the word count, most likely) and at times, to be honest, the leads were less than likeable. Also, there was one particular part of the storyline which was so obvious that my eyes rolled back in their head when Forster 'revealed' it.

I would still say if you're looking for something cute at Christmas, it's not a bad choice and I think I will try another Forster book some time (which, I guess, is the point to these freebies).

2 1/2, maybe 3 out of 5

[Antonietta tesfaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hit all the markers. Funny without being silly. Sentimental without being sappy. Christmas holiday without being over the top. Romance with real life feelings. I love the vulnerability that the rugged leading man shows. It didn’t take away from his manlihood to have real in touch feelings. Job well done!

[BernLuvsBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Kerry Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook book review
Lily is back from Australia for the first time in seven years to spend Christmas at her mum’s house in a small, gossipy English village. To her surprise, she returns to find that her mother is dating the man next door, who also happens to be the father of her ex-boyfriend Tom. Tom, who broke Lily’s heart all those years ago.
Loved it.
brilliant narrators and such a fun book.
low angst and so many laugh out loud moments.
if you like Jenny Colgan books, this will be a perfect fit.
Kerry Kennedy Author

[Deborah Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute and easy to listen to Christmas in Springtime book. Nice and short and I listened to it while working in the hoop house today. This was a second chance book that was very predictable but enjoyable to listen to; a happily ever after story.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
This was so cute and funny! I laughed a lot!
I’m really into the British Christmas stories this year!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Ryan Pettaway · Rating 3 out of 5]

miscommunication trope.

the. entire. time.

[Shelby (catching up on 2025 reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this for a Christmas in July challenge. Short and sweet. ❤️

[Ana · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

Nope! The FMC is a 30-something who acts like a 12 year old, her mom sucks and the whole thing is so awkward and bad-quirky.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Christmas story. I have always enjoyed Aussie romances, and this totally has that same Aussie vibe. This entire story takes place in the UK with an entire cast of Brits, and even though Lily is returning home from a stint in Australia, she is a Brit as well. I don't know how to explain it though ... it just feels like I'm listening to a story about Australians. And that's a good thing. I enjoyed Lily and Tom as main characters. They could have used better communication skills, especially for two people who were supposedly such good friends for so long. Tom's dad and Lily's mom were WONDERFUL side characters. I figured out their angle pretty quick in the story, but it didn't ruin the experience at all. This is a classic second chance romance which could have resolved A LOT faster if Tom had been honest about what happened while he was at university so many years earlier. I really loved the way the book approached his issue. It was touching and a little heartbreaking ... but luckily everything found a way of working out. Just as should always happen in a Christmas romance. I'll give this one four stars. I really enjoyed it.

[Jess Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Audible original that really hit the spot for Hallmark movie cute without the commercials.

While I love Hallmark movies and watch them throughout the entire Christmas season, I do think this is going to be the last cute audiobook. I need something a bit filthier like an Elf who gets down and dirty or Krampus but make him have abs.

Anyway, this was a cute one! I adored that the narrator Rachael Tidd was British because this book takes place in a small English village.

There were a couple of laugh out loud moments that were a bit predictable but hey it is Christmas and sometimes a bit of predictable fun is just what you need. And I mean with a second chance romance that Lily never saw coming, it was just one of those books that you can't help but smile through.

[Jinghay (these.blank.pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute and cozy audiobook that's perfect for getting in the winter/festive spirit! Was genuinely pretty heart-warming, but it felt as though things were only starting to get good when it ended 😭💔
I guess it's understandable since it's only a short read, but I wanted more moments with Lily and Tom! :(

Still quite a fun and humerous read!

Rating: 3.5/5

[Callie Kakascik · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a short novella available on Audible Plus, and since it's the holiday time, of course I gave it a listen. It was ok... nothing special, but not terrible.

It's a second-chance romance between HS sweethearts who fell apart and how the holiday brings them back together with a lot of angst.

3.5 stars

[dree.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

soo cute!! I loved it so much. if you need a cup of tea in a book by the fire. this is it!!

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this sweet and funny Christmas story! It was deeper than I was expecting it to be. I'll listen to this again.
.
A bit of language and a fade to black love scene, but nothing graphic.

[Lindsey Domokur · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute holiday read. This was a well deserved second chance and I loved all the side characters.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this is a nice little Christmas story. I really enjoyed it.

[Morgan Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect little lighthearted Christmas read. Something about good old English humour that I just love!