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Make You Mine This Christmas
It's the golden rule of pretending to be someone's girlfriend: don't fall for their sister.
After a year from hell, Haf is ready to blow off steam at a Christmas party: a kind stranger, a few too many drinks and suddenly she's kissing Christopher under the mistletoe - in front of his ex-girlfriend.
The next day the news is out that they're apparently a couple, madly in love and coming to Oxlea to spend the festive season with Christopher's family. But Haf doesn't have better holiday plans and to save her new friend from embarrassment, she agrees to pretend to be Christopher's girlfriend for Christmas.
It has the makings of a hilarious anecdote they'll be telling for years. Until Haf meets Christopher's sister: the mysterious, magnetic and utterly irresistible Kit. Maybe love was waiting for Haf in this quiet little town all along . . .
After a year from hell, Haf is ready to blow off steam at a Christmas party: a kind stranger, a few too many drinks and suddenly she's kissing Christopher under the mistletoe - in front of his ex-girlfriend.
The next day the news is out that they're apparently a couple, madly in love and coming to Oxlea to spend the festive season with Christopher's family. But Haf doesn't have better holiday plans and to save her new friend from embarrassment, she agrees to pretend to be Christopher's girlfriend for Christmas.
It has the makings of a hilarious anecdote they'll be telling for years. Until Haf meets Christopher's sister: the mysterious, magnetic and utterly irresistible Kit. Maybe love was waiting for Haf in this quiet little town all along . . .
354 pages, ebook
First published October 13, 2022
311 people are currently reading
6545 people want to read
About the author
Lizzie Huxley-Jones
13 books382 followersHello! Thanks for joining me in the 5 star recs zone. Please feel free to follow - I don't tend to add people back as I don't actually use Goodreads myself any more. I just come back here to pop down the recommendations that I post on Twitter and Instagram where I'm @littlehux so you're better off finding me there as I really don't use Goodreads much at all any more.
Official Bit:
Lizzie Huxley-Jones (they/them) is an autistic author and editor based in London. They are the author of the queer holiday rom-com Make You Mine This Christmas (2022) from Hodder Books, the summer romance Hits Different co-written with Tasha Ghouri (2024) from Hot Key Books, and Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend (2023) from Knights Of. They write joyful stories that centre queerness and disability.
They are the editor of Stim, an anthology of autistic authors and artists, which was published by Unbound in April 2020 to coincide with World Autism Awareness Week. They are also the author of the children’s biography Sir David Attenborough: A Life Story (2020) and a contributor to the anthology Allies: Real Talk About Showing Up, Screwing Up, And Trying Again (2021).
They also work with writers and publishers as a sensitivity reader and editorial consultant, and were an editor at independent micropublisher 3 of Cups Press.
In their past career lives, they have been a research diver, a children’s bookseller and digital communications specialist.
They tweet too much at @littlehux, taking breaks to walk their dog Nerys.
They are represented by Abi Fellows of DHH Literary Agency.
Official Bit:
Lizzie Huxley-Jones (they/them) is an autistic author and editor based in London. They are the author of the queer holiday rom-com Make You Mine This Christmas (2022) from Hodder Books, the summer romance Hits Different co-written with Tasha Ghouri (2024) from Hot Key Books, and Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend (2023) from Knights Of. They write joyful stories that centre queerness and disability.
They are the editor of Stim, an anthology of autistic authors and artists, which was published by Unbound in April 2020 to coincide with World Autism Awareness Week. They are also the author of the children’s biography Sir David Attenborough: A Life Story (2020) and a contributor to the anthology Allies: Real Talk About Showing Up, Screwing Up, And Trying Again (2021).
They also work with writers and publishers as a sensitivity reader and editorial consultant, and were an editor at independent micropublisher 3 of Cups Press.
In their past career lives, they have been a research diver, a children’s bookseller and digital communications specialist.
They tweet too much at @littlehux, taking breaks to walk their dog Nerys.
They are represented by Abi Fellows of DHH Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 771 reviews
June 22, 2022
Did I 5 star my own book? Yes, I did. This is a queer, ND, disabled rom-com full of heart and bad decisions, and I hope you like it!
December 5, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review!
I need you to know before I begin this review that two of my four favourite films on my Letterboxd profile are Carol and Paddington 2, that both my sister and I are plus size queer people who are So Very Online, and that I sent her a ten minute voice note when I was barely a third of the way into this to yell about how she needs to read it immediately. Because it felt like the author was in our minds. I truly cannot describe how special and rare it is to be able to tell my sister that not only is the protagonist bi like her, but is also proudly fat, wears big stompy Docs, and is in her 20s without knowing she’s neurodivergent (this last aspect of her identity gets discussed in the author’s note!). This book centres queer, disabled and fat people with such honesty and care and humour, and getting to see them be these wonderful and desirable romantic leads just makes my heart so very happy.
If I wasn’t already enjoying this book, Carol and Paddington Bear being brought into the narrative within about ten pages of each other completely sent me into orbit. I won’t spoil how they are referenced throughout, but this was all an absolute delight to me. It was also just genuinely funny. From the mishaps and calamity to internet memes that my too-much-time-on-Twitter self absolutely ate up, with social media being involved in a way I really loved too. Here, it was a space for queer communities to connect and a place for people to share their passions. And it was a lovely reminder of all the good it can do after a week of me finding some discourse overwhelming.
I also adored the characters here and the take on the fake dating and only one bed tropes. Haf is such an endearing and charming protagonist with a heart of gold, and her friend-turned-fake-boyfriend Christopher is utterly precious too. I’d very much like to hug them both. Ambrose, the no-nonsense (but secretly lives for the nonsense) non-binary best friend and roommate would absolutely think I was a disaster, but hopefully a loveable one at least. There’s also a whole host of side characters here that I grew to love and loathe, and that’s not to mention the love interest that makes resisting her for the sake of the fake dating scheme almost as unbearable for a reader as it is for Haf.
I know I read this in the middle of spooky season, but this cosy sapphic Christmas romance is warm and funny and truly the perfect queer holiday read. I know this story and its heart and its characters will stick with me, and it’s a book I can’t wait to return to.
I’m so happy it exists and so grateful to have read it and would love your thoughts if you check it out too! ❤️
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review!
I need you to know before I begin this review that two of my four favourite films on my Letterboxd profile are Carol and Paddington 2, that both my sister and I are plus size queer people who are So Very Online, and that I sent her a ten minute voice note when I was barely a third of the way into this to yell about how she needs to read it immediately. Because it felt like the author was in our minds. I truly cannot describe how special and rare it is to be able to tell my sister that not only is the protagonist bi like her, but is also proudly fat, wears big stompy Docs, and is in her 20s without knowing she’s neurodivergent (this last aspect of her identity gets discussed in the author’s note!). This book centres queer, disabled and fat people with such honesty and care and humour, and getting to see them be these wonderful and desirable romantic leads just makes my heart so very happy.
If I wasn’t already enjoying this book, Carol and Paddington Bear being brought into the narrative within about ten pages of each other completely sent me into orbit. I won’t spoil how they are referenced throughout, but this was all an absolute delight to me. It was also just genuinely funny. From the mishaps and calamity to internet memes that my too-much-time-on-Twitter self absolutely ate up, with social media being involved in a way I really loved too. Here, it was a space for queer communities to connect and a place for people to share their passions. And it was a lovely reminder of all the good it can do after a week of me finding some discourse overwhelming.
I also adored the characters here and the take on the fake dating and only one bed tropes. Haf is such an endearing and charming protagonist with a heart of gold, and her friend-turned-fake-boyfriend Christopher is utterly precious too. I’d very much like to hug them both. Ambrose, the no-nonsense (but secretly lives for the nonsense) non-binary best friend and roommate would absolutely think I was a disaster, but hopefully a loveable one at least. There’s also a whole host of side characters here that I grew to love and loathe, and that’s not to mention the love interest that makes resisting her for the sake of the fake dating scheme almost as unbearable for a reader as it is for Haf.
I know I read this in the middle of spooky season, but this cosy sapphic Christmas romance is warm and funny and truly the perfect queer holiday read. I know this story and its heart and its characters will stick with me, and it’s a book I can’t wait to return to.
I’m so happy it exists and so grateful to have read it and would love your thoughts if you check it out too! ❤️
May 11, 2023
make you mine this christmas asks the question of ‘what happens when you fall for your fake boyfriend’s sister when spending christmas at their family home?’ and sends you on a delightful journey full of bad decisions, laughter, christmas spirit and sapphic romance. it has hallmark written all over it, and whilst the overall romance is nothing new, who wants that? well i want fake dating tropes galore and all of the cheesiness possible. lizzie huxley-jones delivers.
huxley-jones’ prose is full of warmth and is enough to make anybody, including myself currently sitting writing this in a 30+ degree heatwave in england, crave christmas and all the magic that comes with it. the lgbt representation centred throughout the book is nothing but incredible; includes an autistic bisexual plus-sized woman, a disabled lesbian, a non-binary person, and a bisexual man. in a refreshing change, each character has their own identity beyond this but the importance of the range of inclusivity is never lessened.
overall, this is a delightful read and one i cannot recommend enough if you can stomach the cheesiness and romance of hallmark. if you can, i’d say it’s well worth picking up over the christmas period to get yourself in the festive spirit - the well-written wlw romance is of course the main draw but simultaneously doubles as an added bonus.
”’you’re my christmas wish, haf hughes. you’re always going to be my christmas wish.’
‘not just for christmas?’
‘after all the chaos we went through to get here?’ kit says and leans down to give her the sweetest promise of a kiss. ‘i’m never letting you go.’”
thank you to netgalley and hodder & stoughton for the arc. it was a pleasure to be welcomed into the world of haf, kit, christopher, ambrose and laurel.
huxley-jones’ prose is full of warmth and is enough to make anybody, including myself currently sitting writing this in a 30+ degree heatwave in england, crave christmas and all the magic that comes with it. the lgbt representation centred throughout the book is nothing but incredible; includes an autistic bisexual plus-sized woman, a disabled lesbian, a non-binary person, and a bisexual man. in a refreshing change, each character has their own identity beyond this but the importance of the range of inclusivity is never lessened.
overall, this is a delightful read and one i cannot recommend enough if you can stomach the cheesiness and romance of hallmark. if you can, i’d say it’s well worth picking up over the christmas period to get yourself in the festive spirit - the well-written wlw romance is of course the main draw but simultaneously doubles as an added bonus.
”’you’re my christmas wish, haf hughes. you’re always going to be my christmas wish.’
‘not just for christmas?’
‘after all the chaos we went through to get here?’ kit says and leans down to give her the sweetest promise of a kiss. ‘i’m never letting you go.’”
thank you to netgalley and hodder & stoughton for the arc. it was a pleasure to be welcomed into the world of haf, kit, christopher, ambrose and laurel.
December 25, 2023
December 2023: You guys don't even understand. This is my book. I'm just sharing it with you.
December 2022: Oh you’d best believe i have some quotes to post from this delightful book. But tomorrow bc I’m tired.
Okay, it's tomorrow, here are some quotes. Honestly, the plot in this one is four-star but the writing is what bumped it up to a five for me. This book vibrates at exactly my frequency and thus I am insulted it did not receive a print release and isn't being widely read. The dialogue in this book made me want to pack up my life and fly to England to find the author and befriend them.
"Do you need me to ring the customer service people and frighten them into giving you a refund? I love doing that."
"Ambrose says that Haf's taste in men can be summarised as guys who might live like raccoons and are a bit grubby-hot, like Robert Pattinson now, or anyone from the Italian band that won Eurovision a few years ago. The women she found attractive couldn't be more different, though—suited, secretly dorky and possibly about to organize a heist."
"There's something she really doesn't like about this man. It's a kind of instinctual primal reaction that she wants to kick him in the back of the knees and run away."
"Christopher, do you always talk in riddles? It's like having a conversation with a wizard on a bridge."
"'Can you not hear it?'
'Hear what?'
'The comfortable sound of inherited wealth, Christopher.'"
"The dogs, clearly aware of the sexual tension above them, start whining very loudly. They probably think she's having some kind of medical emergency from all the physiological signs of being completely mortified and horny all at once."
"The fifth glass is unarguably clean. Especially because Haf has been pretending to scrub at a stain that isn't there, like a horny Lady Macbeth wanting to prolong the moment."
"'A bit of fresh air never hurt anyone.'
'Tell that to all the dead people on Everest.'"
"Ambrose: baking together is probably inherently romantic
Ambrose: i bet you're making big, gooey eyes across the flour while listening to inappropriate pop songs about unrequited lesbian love
Ambrose: are we just friends or lovers, what is flirting, idk i'm just too gay, oooh oooh ohh"
"'Do you not get a lot of that in architecture? I'd have thought you'd all be jizzing yourself over bricks, or something.'
Kit snorts with laughter. 'Jizzing ourselves?'
'Yeah, you know. "Ooh, that's a lovely bit of wall. Look at that light."'"
"Look, it was only because I didn't want you to like throw me out or something. And I was trying really hard to repress everything. You know, just keep it all inside until I just die."
"'You look like a puppy that's just been kicked.'
'Why do you know what that looks like?'"
"We put so much effort into it, and I tanked it by being a horny goblin."
December 2022: Oh you’d best believe i have some quotes to post from this delightful book. But tomorrow bc I’m tired.
Okay, it's tomorrow, here are some quotes. Honestly, the plot in this one is four-star but the writing is what bumped it up to a five for me. This book vibrates at exactly my frequency and thus I am insulted it did not receive a print release and isn't being widely read. The dialogue in this book made me want to pack up my life and fly to England to find the author and befriend them.
"Do you need me to ring the customer service people and frighten them into giving you a refund? I love doing that."
"Ambrose says that Haf's taste in men can be summarised as guys who might live like raccoons and are a bit grubby-hot, like Robert Pattinson now, or anyone from the Italian band that won Eurovision a few years ago. The women she found attractive couldn't be more different, though—suited, secretly dorky and possibly about to organize a heist."
"There's something she really doesn't like about this man. It's a kind of instinctual primal reaction that she wants to kick him in the back of the knees and run away."
"Christopher, do you always talk in riddles? It's like having a conversation with a wizard on a bridge."
"'Can you not hear it?'
'Hear what?'
'The comfortable sound of inherited wealth, Christopher.'"
"The dogs, clearly aware of the sexual tension above them, start whining very loudly. They probably think she's having some kind of medical emergency from all the physiological signs of being completely mortified and horny all at once."
"The fifth glass is unarguably clean. Especially because Haf has been pretending to scrub at a stain that isn't there, like a horny Lady Macbeth wanting to prolong the moment."
"'A bit of fresh air never hurt anyone.'
'Tell that to all the dead people on Everest.'"
"Ambrose: baking together is probably inherently romantic
Ambrose: i bet you're making big, gooey eyes across the flour while listening to inappropriate pop songs about unrequited lesbian love
Ambrose: are we just friends or lovers, what is flirting, idk i'm just too gay, oooh oooh ohh"
"'Do you not get a lot of that in architecture? I'd have thought you'd all be jizzing yourself over bricks, or something.'
Kit snorts with laughter. 'Jizzing ourselves?'
'Yeah, you know. "Ooh, that's a lovely bit of wall. Look at that light."'"
"Look, it was only because I didn't want you to like throw me out or something. And I was trying really hard to repress everything. You know, just keep it all inside until I just die."
"'You look like a puppy that's just been kicked.'
'Why do you know what that looks like?'"
"We put so much effort into it, and I tanked it by being a horny goblin."
December 7, 2023
Content warnings: alcohol consumption.
Rep: Haf is white, fat and bisexual and has face blindness, Kit is white and lesbian and is disabled (uses a walking cane), Christopher is white and bisexual, Ambrose is Chinese-British (please forgive me if I got this wrong, I scoured for concrete proof, but all I saw was "Lunar New Year" and their surname is Liew) and non-binary.
This is it! This is my favourite Christmas book ever.
This is fake dating with a twist that had me swooning all over the place.
I was invested right from the start. Haf is a hilarious main character. She gets up to some serious shenannegans without even meaning to and I found myself laughing and covering my face with second hand embarrassment so many times (audio book superiority for me to do this and keep reading the book).
From Haf's first interaction with Christopher, I knew this book was going to be an all time new favourite of mine and I am so glad that I wasn't wrong.
There is so much to love about this book - the way that Haf loves everything with her whole heart, to the way she and Kit had such a perfect meet cute. To the frank conversation Haf had with Christopher about the fact she can't just walk into a shop and buy a dress because she's plus-sized and has to buy everything in her size online.
I just want and need everyone to love this book because it was just so wonderful. And so hilarious.
I read this via audio book and highly recommend it. It won't let you down.
First read through: 03-04/12/2022
Second read through: 04-07/12/2023
I talk about books at these places: Instagram / Twitter / TikTok / Blog
Rep: Haf is white, fat and bisexual and has face blindness, Kit is white and lesbian and is disabled (uses a walking cane), Christopher is white and bisexual, Ambrose is Chinese-British (please forgive me if I got this wrong, I scoured for concrete proof, but all I saw was "Lunar New Year" and their surname is Liew) and non-binary.
This is it! This is my favourite Christmas book ever.
This is fake dating with a twist that had me swooning all over the place.
I was invested right from the start. Haf is a hilarious main character. She gets up to some serious shenannegans without even meaning to and I found myself laughing and covering my face with second hand embarrassment so many times (audio book superiority for me to do this and keep reading the book).
From Haf's first interaction with Christopher, I knew this book was going to be an all time new favourite of mine and I am so glad that I wasn't wrong.
There is so much to love about this book - the way that Haf loves everything with her whole heart, to the way she and Kit had such a perfect meet cute. To the frank conversation Haf had with Christopher about the fact she can't just walk into a shop and buy a dress because she's plus-sized and has to buy everything in her size online.
I just want and need everyone to love this book because it was just so wonderful. And so hilarious.
I read this via audio book and highly recommend it. It won't let you down.
First read through: 03-04/12/2022
Second read through: 04-07/12/2023
I talk about books at these places: Instagram / Twitter / TikTok / Blog
December 21, 2023
Make You Mine is officially now my favorite Christmas book. Funny, charming, warm characters in a romantic setting. Just like with most holiday movies and stories you have to roll with it because relationships develop very quickly and there are convenient misunderstandings that help set up the story. Joy and silliness rule. Instalove is in the wintery air.
Haf is facing a lonely Christmas so impulsively she agrees to be Christopher’s fake girlfriend and accompanies him home to his family gathering. She has a wonderful personality that pulls people to her but she can be awkward too which further endears her to everyone. In an oops moment, Haf falls hard for Christopher’s sister which leads to more hilarity and sexy moments. Top notch banter from all parties. The supporting characters pop on the page. Snow covered country estates, quaint family traditions, and favorite holiday tunes are all present. Forgive some of the cheesiness but truthfully, I pictured a really good Christmas movie where everyone ends up happy and a great song plays over the credits. Hot chocolate fuzzies 10/10. If you get a chance, listen to the audiobook because Helen Keeley’s narration had me up into the wee hours.
Haf is facing a lonely Christmas so impulsively she agrees to be Christopher’s fake girlfriend and accompanies him home to his family gathering. She has a wonderful personality that pulls people to her but she can be awkward too which further endears her to everyone. In an oops moment, Haf falls hard for Christopher’s sister which leads to more hilarity and sexy moments. Top notch banter from all parties. The supporting characters pop on the page. Snow covered country estates, quaint family traditions, and favorite holiday tunes are all present. Forgive some of the cheesiness but truthfully, I pictured a really good Christmas movie where everyone ends up happy and a great song plays over the credits. Hot chocolate fuzzies 10/10. If you get a chance, listen to the audiobook because Helen Keeley’s narration had me up into the wee hours.
July 12, 2023
It’s a classic in fake-romance novels: either the MC falls in love with the person they’re faking the romance with or they fall for their sister. Like in Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun (one of my favourite audiobooks), Haf meets the woman who will capture her heart in a bookstore but in this instance, nothing happens then beyond a little flirting over Carol. A few hours later, they meet again at Kit’s parents’ house in the Cotswolds for Christmas. Officially, Haf is Kit’s brother Christopher’s girlfriend of a few months. In reality, they’ve met only once before and shared the worst but funniest drunken kiss of their lives. Christopher’s ex assumed Haf is his new girlfriend and they both rolled with it, each for their own reasons. Which lands them, and Haf especially, in all sorts of conundrums.
I hadn’t heard of this book until a reader emailed me about it (thank you!), mentioning that according to the author, Haf is dyspraxic, and probably autistic as well. As far as I know, there are very few stories with dyspraxic MCs, much less sapphic stories. Some parts really resonated with me, like when Haf has Christopher tie her shoes (there’s a whole reason for it) and it turns out to be “one of those moments where she realises that things that are hard for her are a lot easier for other people”. Shoelaces are one of the examples I use most often of apparently simple things that actually aren’t.
Haf gives us bi, fat, neurodivergent representation, but she’s far from the only character I liked. I actually liked them all. Christopher is so sweet, and Kit is the perfect wannabe ice queen who can’t help but fall for the chaotic bisexual cinnamon bun. Kit has hypermobile Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome and while it clearly impacts who she is, it’s not all she is. She’s sexy and smart and sarcastic in the best way. She’s also very cute at unexpected times.
I also loved Ambrose, Haf’s non-binary roommate, who keeps calling her out with a lot of tenderness; Laurel, Kit’s best friend and Christopher’s ex; the parents, the Quiet Carriage man… There’s so much love and affection in this book that it could be all gooey but no, it’s just sweet and funny and heartwarming.
Why Kit and Haf feel the need to pretend they’ve never crossed paths before I’m not sure but it definitely adds tension so I’ll take it. To be fair, that’s only one of the things that don’t make sense. Why does Haf act like she’s cheating on Christopher? Why doesn’t she talk to him? The fake relationship thing is only supposed to last for a week or so, she wouldn’t be betraying him. A lot of the drama is Haf’s doing or thinking. However, I didn’t mind. I was having way too much fun to care and it fits the character anyway. Haf is unhinged and exhausting and wonderful.
I’d love to say my favourite scene is Haf and Kit’s first kiss, but to be honest, I remember the quest for the lost baby reindeer much better. I’ve read plenty of first kisses but not many reindeer escapees or fights with geese.
This may not be the best-written book ever but it made me laugh often and left me with a deliciously warm feeling in my heart. It was brought to my attention because of dyspraxia and that part was spot on but I loved everything else too. I felt happy the whole time I was reading. 4.5⭐️
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
August 2, 2022
✨Falling gay ass over heels for your fake boyfriends sister? Sapphics approve of this message.✨
Sometimes you find a little of yourself in a book and it makes you smile like mad. This book does that.
Idk how to express my love of this book.
A WLW romance with plus sized and disabled mc’s? Hell yes!
First of all this is totally Christmas hallmark movie vibes and I’m here for it. It serves up that cozy and wholesome romantic feeling, that makes you want to download tinder again and pretend like it’s a ‘good idea’.
Representation wise: MC is Bisexual, autistic & Welsh. Love interest is a lesbian, cane user (with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.) We also have Bi and Non-binary SC’s. The romance is WLW centric.
As a neurodiv, lesbian cane user let me tell you I was SCREAMING for that rep.
Plot wise I really enjoyed it, it’s nothing wildly fresh but with romances I don’t want fresh. I want corny fake dating tropes I will devour like my life depends on it and this was exactly that.
The humour was on par too, some seriously decent laughs in this so if you want a romance with a comedic edge this is for you.
It also does have spice, though it’s brief and not massively descriptive. This is probably one you could get away with reading in public without a tell tale blush.
It’s honestly just slowburn goodness that will leave you grinning like a bloody idiot. I loved it.
Pacing wise I felt the start was a little slow otherwise I had no issues. Occasionally the plot was a bit too cheesy and dramatised which is why I marked it down a star, however this really didn’t bother me much.
TW’s listed below please skip if you don’t want any vague spoilers//
Tw//CW// Alcohol mentions, sex mentions (briefly described)
Sometimes you find a little of yourself in a book and it makes you smile like mad. This book does that.
Idk how to express my love of this book.
A WLW romance with plus sized and disabled mc’s? Hell yes!
First of all this is totally Christmas hallmark movie vibes and I’m here for it. It serves up that cozy and wholesome romantic feeling, that makes you want to download tinder again and pretend like it’s a ‘good idea’.
Representation wise: MC is Bisexual, autistic & Welsh. Love interest is a lesbian, cane user (with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.) We also have Bi and Non-binary SC’s. The romance is WLW centric.
As a neurodiv, lesbian cane user let me tell you I was SCREAMING for that rep.
Plot wise I really enjoyed it, it’s nothing wildly fresh but with romances I don’t want fresh. I want corny fake dating tropes I will devour like my life depends on it and this was exactly that.
The humour was on par too, some seriously decent laughs in this so if you want a romance with a comedic edge this is for you.
It also does have spice, though it’s brief and not massively descriptive. This is probably one you could get away with reading in public without a tell tale blush.
It’s honestly just slowburn goodness that will leave you grinning like a bloody idiot. I loved it.
Pacing wise I felt the start was a little slow otherwise I had no issues. Occasionally the plot was a bit too cheesy and dramatised which is why I marked it down a star, however this really didn’t bother me much.
TW’s listed below please skip if you don’t want any vague spoilers//
Tw//CW// Alcohol mentions, sex mentions (briefly described)
December 24, 2022
2.5 stars. I really wish I loved this one.
Make You Mine This Christmas has a fresh take on the fake dating trope, that unfortunately ended up being its down fall for me.
Haf and her new friend Christopher end up fake dating and spending christmas at his parents house in Oxlea. The plan hits a bit of a snag when Haf falls in love with his sister, Kit.
This was a fun concept for a hot second, but the fake dating quickly started getting in the way of the actual relationship. I was 150 pages in and Haf and Kit's relationship had no movement at all. Because of course, as far as Kit's aware, Haf is dating her brother. I'm all for slow-burn but this was stagnant.
And when we finally get their first kiss the moment is ruined because Kit feels guilty for obvious reasons. The whole situation was the embodiment of 'Funny, yes, but not funny haha, funny weird.'
There were great moments. My favourite being the baby reindeer rescue mission (so cute!!). But for me, Haf and Christopher's fake dating bogged it down; and Haf and Kit didn't get enough romantic development.
Make You Mine This Christmas has a fresh take on the fake dating trope, that unfortunately ended up being its down fall for me.
Haf and her new friend Christopher end up fake dating and spending christmas at his parents house in Oxlea. The plan hits a bit of a snag when Haf falls in love with his sister, Kit.
This was a fun concept for a hot second, but the fake dating quickly started getting in the way of the actual relationship. I was 150 pages in and Haf and Kit's relationship had no movement at all. Because of course, as far as Kit's aware, Haf is dating her brother. I'm all for slow-burn but this was stagnant.
And when we finally get their first kiss the moment is ruined because Kit feels guilty for obvious reasons. The whole situation was the embodiment of 'Funny, yes, but not funny haha, funny weird.'
There were great moments. My favourite being the baby reindeer rescue mission (so cute!!). But for me, Haf and Christopher's fake dating bogged it down; and Haf and Kit didn't get enough romantic development.
July 15, 2024
This was exactly the holiday romcom I needed right now! Super funny, really cute, body-/gender-/disability-positive, and narrated to perfection!
If you’re giving this one a go, do yourself a favour and listen to the audiobook. Helen Keeley does such a good job with the voices and brings so much animation to all the chaotic and ridiculous antics of the book. This is one of those books that is 100% better in audio and absolutely had me laughing out loud a few times and smiling a lot (much to my chagrin, I’m sure a few of my neighbors think I’m weird now…if they didn’t already).
The characters are all great – fun and witty and wonderful. I love the relationships that develop between Haf, Christopher, and Kit, they’re really so sweet (and props to Jones for at least acknowledging the ridiculously fast-paced relationship with a self-deprecating U-Haul joke – that’s really all I need to get over the un-believability of it!). Add to that a fount of entertaining banter with all of the fantastic side characters, and this really was just so entertaining the whole way through!
Reindeer shenanigans, goose attacks, gingerbread natural disasters, a fatefully terrible mistletoe kiss, and hot closet sex (a bit on the nose? Who cares!)…packed with holiday fun, great humour, and the perfect amount of sentimentality and personal growth, this will definitely be one of my holiday go-tos.
If you’re giving this one a go, do yourself a favour and listen to the audiobook. Helen Keeley does such a good job with the voices and brings so much animation to all the chaotic and ridiculous antics of the book. This is one of those books that is 100% better in audio and absolutely had me laughing out loud a few times and smiling a lot (much to my chagrin, I’m sure a few of my neighbors think I’m weird now…if they didn’t already).
The characters are all great – fun and witty and wonderful. I love the relationships that develop between Haf, Christopher, and Kit, they’re really so sweet (and props to Jones for at least acknowledging the ridiculously fast-paced relationship with a self-deprecating U-Haul joke – that’s really all I need to get over the un-believability of it!). Add to that a fount of entertaining banter with all of the fantastic side characters, and this really was just so entertaining the whole way through!
Reindeer shenanigans, goose attacks, gingerbread natural disasters, a fatefully terrible mistletoe kiss, and hot closet sex (a bit on the nose? Who cares!)…packed with holiday fun, great humour, and the perfect amount of sentimentality and personal growth, this will definitely be one of my holiday go-tos.
December 19, 2022
Fantastic, hilarious, funny, body positive and heartwarming rom-com Christmas read.
Enjoyed every minute of this book and will reread next Christmas.
Highly recommend.
Enjoyed every minute of this book and will reread next Christmas.
Highly recommend.
December 14, 2023
This was possibly the most charming thing I have ever read. I loved every single character down to the dogs and Bryn. What a chaotic queer delight.
December 13, 2023
This book is everything you wish Happiest Season had been, with a fake dating scheme thrown in the mix. If you want to pick up one Christmas read this festive season, make it this one!
One of the main selling points of the book, for me as an autistic person, is that the main character has undiagnosed autism. I expected this book to hit close to home, but it was already calling me out on the first page. Aside from being a relatable book though, it's also so funny, making me snort-laugh every other page. And I loved the characters so much from the start!
There's so much complete and utter chaos in this book, and the characters are creating a huge mess, but it's also all so heartfelt. In other words, it's everything you could want out of a Christmas romcom.
One of the main selling points of the book, for me as an autistic person, is that the main character has undiagnosed autism. I expected this book to hit close to home, but it was already calling me out on the first page. Aside from being a relatable book though, it's also so funny, making me snort-laugh every other page. And I loved the characters so much from the start!
There's so much complete and utter chaos in this book, and the characters are creating a huge mess, but it's also all so heartfelt. In other words, it's everything you could want out of a Christmas romcom.
October 26, 2022
This book hits a few tropes - fake relationship, rich girl/poor girl - as well as starring a plus-sized heroine alongside a disabled love interest. Interest piqued. It took me a while to warm to the star, Haf, and some of the twee language used put my teeth on edge. BUT. Halfway through, the humour grabbed me, the plot got bonkers and the festive feels flowed like liquid tinsel. It's a tale full of heart and bad decisions. Also, ladies who fuck in a cupboard. Christmas chaos at its finest.
October 26, 2022
Hands down the best Christmas story I've read so far.
We have romance, chemistry and sparks, we have ‘giggles’ with the laugh-out-loud moments, and the characters are all bubbly and fun, and there are also a few teary moments thrown in there too.
I really did enjoy this story... Fingers crossed for a sequel!
5/5.
We have romance, chemistry and sparks, we have ‘giggles’ with the laugh-out-loud moments, and the characters are all bubbly and fun, and there are also a few teary moments thrown in there too.
I really did enjoy this story... Fingers crossed for a sequel!
5/5.
December 27, 2022
3.5 stars for me. I liked it but the actual romance was too quick and very thin with very little substance. Still enjoyed it as a cute holiday romance though.
December 15, 2023
This has been on my list ever since the publication announcement last year, for several reasons: 1. I read the author’s anthology, Stim: An Autistic Anthology, and took lots away from it. 2. I very much admire Abi (the author’s agent) and the work she does. 3. There are few things that make me happier than queer Christmas romcoms - especially when they don’t suck, and this struck me as one that wouldn’t suck. I was right, cause at this point I’m pretty good at avoiding books that will disappoint me.
Let’s get something out of the way: If you go into this thinking you’ll get 300 pages of pure swoon and longing, you might not find what you’re looking for, as this book a) spends a long time setting up the romance and bringing them together and b) comes with a strong focus on friendship, meaning we spend a lot of time with other characters than just protagonist and love interest, such as the Golden Retriever fake-date, the sardonic non-binary bestie, and various other fun and chaotic side characters. I wouldn’t have it any other way, personally. Seeing all these relationships created a sense of community that’s heart-warming af, and I couldn’t get enough of it. The plot holds a comforting dose of predictability, but strikes a nice balance by surprising you with things that don’t pan out the way you think. Nice surprise when plots don’t feel forced. And the most important thing: I had a blast. Honestly, I giggled my way through this book. I never got bored, felt safe & warm, and would read a whole series featuring other characters in this universe. So, read this book if you like: clumsy Welsh bisexuals, casual disability rep, Christmas doggos, twitter polls, and Cate Blanchett in Carol.
Let’s get something out of the way: If you go into this thinking you’ll get 300 pages of pure swoon and longing, you might not find what you’re looking for, as this book a) spends a long time setting up the romance and bringing them together and b) comes with a strong focus on friendship, meaning we spend a lot of time with other characters than just protagonist and love interest, such as the Golden Retriever fake-date, the sardonic non-binary bestie, and various other fun and chaotic side characters. I wouldn’t have it any other way, personally. Seeing all these relationships created a sense of community that’s heart-warming af, and I couldn’t get enough of it. The plot holds a comforting dose of predictability, but strikes a nice balance by surprising you with things that don’t pan out the way you think. Nice surprise when plots don’t feel forced. And the most important thing: I had a blast. Honestly, I giggled my way through this book. I never got bored, felt safe & warm, and would read a whole series featuring other characters in this universe. So, read this book if you like: clumsy Welsh bisexuals, casual disability rep, Christmas doggos, twitter polls, and Cate Blanchett in Carol.
December 23, 2023
Absolut perfekt für die Weihnachtszeit, sehr süß, sehr cozy und mit ordentlich typischen RomCom Vibes. Mir persönlich an mancher Stelle etwas ZU over the top und klischeehaft. Aber die Charaktere waren total einnehmend und ja, es hatte natürlich auch wirklich lustige und romantische Szenen, die ich mochte. Die Lovestory war an sich total schön, hätte aber vom Gefühl her gerne noch einen Ticken mehr Tiefe haben können.
December 24, 2024
This was a lovely, merry old time, full of chaotic bisexual hijinks, with fun characters and a really nice narrative voice. I had a good time with it, but couldn't fully connect emotionally. What I loved the most was strangely the relationship between Haf and Christopher, as partners in fake dating crime, without a romantic component in the end. Their dynamic was sweet and I really have to appreciate a romance that puts a lot of effort into platonic connections - and there was more of that even outside of these two chaotic bisexuals.
The romance was cute, but it went from 0 to 100 way too fast for me, from flirting to 'love of my life' stuff in just five days. Sorry, I personally need more time! Even if you lampshade it with U-Haul jokes!
Also, here we go again with the fantasy having your cake and eating it too that romances these days have. Declaratively making snippy comments about capitalism and then hanging out with very nice, landlordy ethical rich people. I laughed at the line: "There's no time for class anxiety this Christmas." But then I realized that the book was doing exactly that. And I grew up working class and poor and I'm working class and precarious now, so I don't get a break from class anxiety, okay? Plus, I've been to the Cotswolds, where this takes place, and it's posh as all fuck.
Not to mention I spent this year looking for jobs and getting burn-out from that and I had trouble empathizing with all these well-off people having career anxiety.
To recap, had a lot of fun, but still grinching on the side. Especially since this month I had a record low average rating of 2.8 (I mathed!), and that including the re-read I knew would be a 5 stars!
The romance was cute, but it went from 0 to 100 way too fast for me, from flirting to 'love of my life' stuff in just five days. Sorry, I personally need more time! Even if you lampshade it with U-Haul jokes!
Also, here we go again with the fantasy having your cake and eating it too that romances these days have. Declaratively making snippy comments about capitalism and then hanging out with very nice, landlordy ethical rich people. I laughed at the line: "There's no time for class anxiety this Christmas." But then I realized that the book was doing exactly that. And I grew up working class and poor and I'm working class and precarious now, so I don't get a break from class anxiety, okay? Plus, I've been to the Cotswolds, where this takes place, and it's posh as all fuck.
Not to mention I spent this year looking for jobs and getting burn-out from that and I had trouble empathizing with all these well-off people having career anxiety.
To recap, had a lot of fun, but still grinching on the side. Especially since this month I had a record low average rating of 2.8 (I mathed!), and that including the re-read I knew would be a 5 stars!
November 23, 2022
An absolutely delightful fake-dating romantic comedy that sees acquaintances agree to fake-date, only for the woman in the relationship to fall for her fake-boyfriend's sister. There's a lot of comedy here that could come off as cringe, but because all of the leads are so genuinely nice and earnest, actually just comes off as charming and quirky.
October 15, 2022
Lovely, lovely, just lovely! A fake-dating romance with a twist - our heroine, Haf, is fake-dating Christopher, an almost-complete stranger that she met at a party - but having gone to visit his very rich and fancy family over Christmas, she falls for his sister, Kit, instead. Hijinks naturally ensue. It's richly atmospheric, smoothly written and paced just right, and I loved it. My favourite part is that Haf's relationship with Christopher, a platonic-love-at-first-sight-friendship has the same emotional weight as her relationship with Kit. Much recommended.
December 24, 2024
real review coming but holy shitttttt i love this!!! THE AUTHORS NOTE!! THE WAY THIS IS THE BEST FAKE DATING EVER!!! THE PLATONIC LOVE!!!!!
December 18, 2022
A Christmas f/f ‘disaster-bi’ romcom, and one of the MCs lives in York?! You better believe I smashed request on Netgalley for this one; like, several times. And it turned out to be a delightful holiday confection: endearingly silly, amped up on hijinks, and full of genuinely sweet and heart-squeezy moments. Plus it’s funny!
We meet Haf Hughes at a decidedly low moment, just as her parents break the news that they’re leaving her alone for Christmas and jetting off to Madeira. Exhausted from her crappy low-paid exploitative job and still reeling from a painful breakup, she’s feeling extremely sorry for herself. So, when her flatmate Ambrose (an absolute legend of a secondary character) takes her to gate crash a party and she accidentally starts fake-dating a handsome banker called Christopher Calloway, who can blame her?? When the fake-dating escalates to being invited home to his parents house for Christmas… I mean, maybe that’s a step further than most people would take it? But. Haf instantly likes Christopher - although not in *that* way - and she wants to help him avoid an embarrassing Christmas being paraded in front of his own ex, Laurel. Plus, why be alone in York with M&S party food when you could be living it up in the Cotswolds at an upper middle-class shindig? What harm can it do? He can fake-dump her in January and all will be well. Enter Christopher’s sexy architect sister, Kit, stage right to muck up best laid plans.
What follows is a glorious mash-up of the plots of Imagine Me and You and While You Were Sleeping (undeniably two of the best films EVER made). While Haf and Kit try to resist an instant tummy-tingling chemistry, Haf and Christopher act out all the required Calloway Christmas traditions as a couple. There’s the Christmas Eve-Eve village fete, the annual local ball, and the big day itself… Haf - the most adorable chaos monkey I’ve read in a while - tries her absolute best to play her role, but what can she do when shenanigans are attracted to her like a magnet? It’s all destined to end in tears before the crescendo to the happy ending.
There was so much I appreciated about this story! There was great bi rep, as well as fat, neurodiverse and disability rep. It did a fab job with the chemistry between Kit and Haf, and made their insta-love feel at least half believable to me. It also delivered some truly daft set-piece scenes on just the right side of delightful. And it gave me all those snow-touched, twinkly-light, Christmas-music in the background vibes of an over the top holiday movie. I was bouncing about gleefully the whole time. But what I liked the most was that Make You Mine for Christmas was really good - REALLY GOOD - at platonic love. I actually enjoyed reading about Haf and Christopher’s growing friendship (and the other friendships of the novel) as much as I did Haf’s sapphic longing for Kit. Lizzie Huxley-Jones really captured the power of instantly connecting with someone, and the closeness of friend-attraction. I was actually thrilled to see Ambrose and Laurel and Christopher there at the end for the HEA moment, when I usually hate love declarations with an audience.
Highly recommended if you’re looking for a fun irrepressible holiday read over the next week. I’m hoping the author is going to write more in the series - I need to know more about the mysterious Bryn!!
We meet Haf Hughes at a decidedly low moment, just as her parents break the news that they’re leaving her alone for Christmas and jetting off to Madeira. Exhausted from her crappy low-paid exploitative job and still reeling from a painful breakup, she’s feeling extremely sorry for herself. So, when her flatmate Ambrose (an absolute legend of a secondary character) takes her to gate crash a party and she accidentally starts fake-dating a handsome banker called Christopher Calloway, who can blame her?? When the fake-dating escalates to being invited home to his parents house for Christmas… I mean, maybe that’s a step further than most people would take it? But. Haf instantly likes Christopher - although not in *that* way - and she wants to help him avoid an embarrassing Christmas being paraded in front of his own ex, Laurel. Plus, why be alone in York with M&S party food when you could be living it up in the Cotswolds at an upper middle-class shindig? What harm can it do? He can fake-dump her in January and all will be well. Enter Christopher’s sexy architect sister, Kit, stage right to muck up best laid plans.
What follows is a glorious mash-up of the plots of Imagine Me and You and While You Were Sleeping (undeniably two of the best films EVER made). While Haf and Kit try to resist an instant tummy-tingling chemistry, Haf and Christopher act out all the required Calloway Christmas traditions as a couple. There’s the Christmas Eve-Eve village fete, the annual local ball, and the big day itself… Haf - the most adorable chaos monkey I’ve read in a while - tries her absolute best to play her role, but what can she do when shenanigans are attracted to her like a magnet? It’s all destined to end in tears before the crescendo to the happy ending.
There was so much I appreciated about this story! There was great bi rep, as well as fat, neurodiverse and disability rep. It did a fab job with the chemistry between Kit and Haf, and made their insta-love feel at least half believable to me. It also delivered some truly daft set-piece scenes on just the right side of delightful. And it gave me all those snow-touched, twinkly-light, Christmas-music in the background vibes of an over the top holiday movie. I was bouncing about gleefully the whole time. But what I liked the most was that Make You Mine for Christmas was really good - REALLY GOOD - at platonic love. I actually enjoyed reading about Haf and Christopher’s growing friendship (and the other friendships of the novel) as much as I did Haf’s sapphic longing for Kit. Lizzie Huxley-Jones really captured the power of instantly connecting with someone, and the closeness of friend-attraction. I was actually thrilled to see Ambrose and Laurel and Christopher there at the end for the HEA moment, when I usually hate love declarations with an audience.
Highly recommended if you’re looking for a fun irrepressible holiday read over the next week. I’m hoping the author is going to write more in the series - I need to know more about the mysterious Bryn!!
January 2, 2024
This book was so much fun and my favorite Christmas book this year. Newbie writer Lizzie-Huxley Jones nailed it with good character development for the MCs and the supporting cast. And happy to read that the main characters both had less than perfect health and bodies. It was very refreshing. I can’t wait to read more of her books in the future.
December 30, 2022
id like to start this off by saying that this rant might be all over the place because im very frustrated. anyways
i don't usually go into cotemp romances with expectations but when you have that kind of premise im bound to feel very excited. i left this book for now hoping to end my year with a 5 star read which is now... not the case. i had a lot of issues with this book and nothing about it was objectively bad which makes it worse because it just disappointed me. it had so much potential i was rooting for it so much but now if you hold a gun to my head and ask me to describe to you what happens in the last 50% of the book i would not be able to.
my issues were that it started it out fine, i was getting into it, but it very quickly got boring i caught myself multiple times during this book looking at how much of it was left which is not something i like to do. but then the plot was picking up, haf met kit in a bookstore instant attraction yada yada not my jam but i was willing to let it pass... which i did a lot with this book.
but then it started getting more frustrating because it seemed that there was more chemistry and development between haf and the guy she's fake dating (i forgot his name im not gonna look it up) than with the the actual love interest WHO BTW only had a handful of interactions with the entire book while she spent so much time with the other guy which really hindered the possibility of developing a relationship. every time haf and kit would be in the same room haf would think of kissing her and being romantically involved with her and i just didn't get whyyyyy!!! what does she know about her???? absolutely nothing they barely talk!!!!!!!!! i was so pissed they barely had any chemistry together cz there was NO DEVELOPMENT
the guy and haf had MULTIPLE vulnerable conversations where they opened up to the other while the ONE scene where her and kit talk about the deep stuff is so far into the book i didn't even care anymore atp and it just felt out of place since they only talked like twice prior to that. worst part is that there were multiple opportunities for haf and kit to get to know each other but it was either the guy or any of the other characters stepped in to save the dayyy.
now for the characters. they were all great i liked all of them especially ambrose they were the best addition to the cast..... except for the main fucking character 😃. now listen, i get being embarrassing, i get being clumsy hell i am very much all those things but there's a way to do it without having it be too cartoonish and over the top which this book doesn't manage to do. i wasn't getting the 'ah darn! haha' second hand embarrassment i was getting the '🥴🥴' second hand embarrassment that simply made me cringe so hard.
which brings me to the humor of this book 😁 for a romcom that i already established lacks in rom it also seems to lack in com. the humor was toooo reliant on being quirky to be funny in my opinion and it wasn't even funny it was too hallmark-esque to be enjoyable. and i was too frustrated to note down examples so i have none. sorry.
there's also this whole plotline about a reindeer escaping that i found very weird, a bunch of shit happens THEY KISS TO PROVE THEY'RE ACTUALLY DATING (haf and guy) IN FRONT OF GUY'S EX FRIEND LIKE I COULDN'T BELIEVE THIS WAS AN ACTUAL THING!!!! ARE THEY IN MIDDLE SCHOOL???????
a thing that slightly annoyed me was the too many pop culture references except for the gilmore girls ones i loved those <3
im so terribly sad i didn't enjoy this book i really thought it was gonna be a 5 stars but like of course no hate to the author they seem like a great person and i would be willing to give them another shot this book had a lot of rep that is important to see in media like the mc being plus sized (which isn't clear on the cover that is a whole problem on its own) disability rep (the love interest has to use a came to help her out) and others too
i wouldn't discourage people from reading the book a lot seemed to have enjoyed it way more than i did and everything i had an issue was mostly personal so who's to say this might not be someone's favorite book
i don't usually go into cotemp romances with expectations but when you have that kind of premise im bound to feel very excited. i left this book for now hoping to end my year with a 5 star read which is now... not the case. i had a lot of issues with this book and nothing about it was objectively bad which makes it worse because it just disappointed me. it had so much potential i was rooting for it so much but now if you hold a gun to my head and ask me to describe to you what happens in the last 50% of the book i would not be able to.
my issues were that it started it out fine, i was getting into it, but it very quickly got boring i caught myself multiple times during this book looking at how much of it was left which is not something i like to do. but then the plot was picking up, haf met kit in a bookstore instant attraction yada yada not my jam but i was willing to let it pass... which i did a lot with this book.
but then it started getting more frustrating because it seemed that there was more chemistry and development between haf and the guy she's fake dating (i forgot his name im not gonna look it up) than with the the actual love interest WHO BTW only had a handful of interactions with the entire book while she spent so much time with the other guy which really hindered the possibility of developing a relationship. every time haf and kit would be in the same room haf would think of kissing her and being romantically involved with her and i just didn't get whyyyyy!!! what does she know about her???? absolutely nothing they barely talk!!!!!!!!! i was so pissed they barely had any chemistry together cz there was NO DEVELOPMENT
the guy and haf had MULTIPLE vulnerable conversations where they opened up to the other while the ONE scene where her and kit talk about the deep stuff is so far into the book i didn't even care anymore atp and it just felt out of place since they only talked like twice prior to that. worst part is that there were multiple opportunities for haf and kit to get to know each other but it was either the guy or any of the other characters stepped in to save the dayyy.
now for the characters. they were all great i liked all of them especially ambrose they were the best addition to the cast..... except for the main fucking character 😃. now listen, i get being embarrassing, i get being clumsy hell i am very much all those things but there's a way to do it without having it be too cartoonish and over the top which this book doesn't manage to do. i wasn't getting the 'ah darn! haha' second hand embarrassment i was getting the '🥴🥴' second hand embarrassment that simply made me cringe so hard.
which brings me to the humor of this book 😁 for a romcom that i already established lacks in rom it also seems to lack in com. the humor was toooo reliant on being quirky to be funny in my opinion and it wasn't even funny it was too hallmark-esque to be enjoyable. and i was too frustrated to note down examples so i have none. sorry.
there's also this whole plotline about a reindeer escaping that i found very weird, a bunch of shit happens THEY KISS TO PROVE THEY'RE ACTUALLY DATING (haf and guy) IN FRONT OF GUY'S EX FRIEND LIKE I COULDN'T BELIEVE THIS WAS AN ACTUAL THING!!!! ARE THEY IN MIDDLE SCHOOL???????
a thing that slightly annoyed me was the too many pop culture references except for the gilmore girls ones i loved those <3
im so terribly sad i didn't enjoy this book i really thought it was gonna be a 5 stars but like of course no hate to the author they seem like a great person and i would be willing to give them another shot this book had a lot of rep that is important to see in media like the mc being plus sized (which isn't clear on the cover that is a whole problem on its own) disability rep (the love interest has to use a came to help her out) and others too
i wouldn't discourage people from reading the book a lot seemed to have enjoyed it way more than i did and everything i had an issue was mostly personal so who's to say this might not be someone's favorite book
January 12, 2023
I loved this one so much. Everyone who loves Kiss Her Once for Me needs to read this one immediately!
Make You Mine This Christmas follows Haf, a fat ecologist who is battling burnout due to an awful job. She's been in such a fog that the week before Christmas she finds out her parents have booked a vacation for themselves and now has no plans for Christmas. When she crashes a Christmas party, she meets Christopher and the two them hit it off and share a drunken kiss. Then Christopher's ex-girlfriend sees them and makes assumptions. The next day the news is out that Christopher has a girlfriend and the two cook up a ridiculous scheme for Haf to come back to Oxlea and be his fake girlfriend over the holidays.
Haf and Christopher have no romantic notions for each other. They express at several times in the book that it's only platonic attraction between the two. However, when Haf meets Kit, Christopher's brother, she immediately feels attraction for her. And has no idea how she'll navigate it while pretending to be Christopher's fake girlfriend. She attempts to pretend it doesn't exist and that was one of the funniest things I've read this year so far. So entertaining and hilarious.
This book was so amazing. I love it a lot for the romance, conversations about disability and support and learning to deal with and address parental expectations. It was done so well and all of these things made it a success for me. Plus like Kit and Haf were just the freaking cutest. I love them.
Also Kit's friend and roommate Ambrose was my favorite. They are so fucking hilarious. Their twitter polls about Haf's situation made me laugh every time. Anyway, read this book!
Rep: fat white Welsh bisexual cis female MC (undiagnosed autistic), white British lesbian cis female side character with hEDS, white British questioning-bisexual cis male side character, Asian-British nonbinary side character, various white cishet British side characters.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, swearing. Moderate: Sexual content, chronic illness, ableism, classism. Minor: biphobia/bimisia.
Make You Mine This Christmas follows Haf, a fat ecologist who is battling burnout due to an awful job. She's been in such a fog that the week before Christmas she finds out her parents have booked a vacation for themselves and now has no plans for Christmas. When she crashes a Christmas party, she meets Christopher and the two them hit it off and share a drunken kiss. Then Christopher's ex-girlfriend sees them and makes assumptions. The next day the news is out that Christopher has a girlfriend and the two cook up a ridiculous scheme for Haf to come back to Oxlea and be his fake girlfriend over the holidays.
Haf and Christopher have no romantic notions for each other. They express at several times in the book that it's only platonic attraction between the two. However, when Haf meets Kit, Christopher's brother, she immediately feels attraction for her. And has no idea how she'll navigate it while pretending to be Christopher's fake girlfriend. She attempts to pretend it doesn't exist and that was one of the funniest things I've read this year so far. So entertaining and hilarious.
This book was so amazing. I love it a lot for the romance, conversations about disability and support and learning to deal with and address parental expectations. It was done so well and all of these things made it a success for me. Plus like Kit and Haf were just the freaking cutest. I love them.
Also Kit's friend and roommate Ambrose was my favorite. They are so fucking hilarious. Their twitter polls about Haf's situation made me laugh every time. Anyway, read this book!
Rep: fat white Welsh bisexual cis female MC (undiagnosed autistic), white British lesbian cis female side character with hEDS, white British questioning-bisexual cis male side character, Asian-British nonbinary side character, various white cishet British side characters.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, swearing. Moderate: Sexual content, chronic illness, ableism, classism. Minor: biphobia/bimisia.
December 15, 2023
This book. I loved it.
All the unlikely-yet-predictable shenanigans of a Christmas rom-com with lovable characters - not just the leads - and a steady flow of awkward/funny/snarky/yearning dialogue.
Haf (it's Welsh) is in her late twenties. She runs social media for an animal welfare group and is still wounded after a painful breakup. She is "plus size" and identifies as bisexual. Author Lizzie Huxley-Jones tells us Haf is autistic and dyspraxic (both undiagnosed and never mentioned in the novel, though observable in Haf's actions).
Haf and her flatmate, Ambrose (pronoun: "they", influencer), crash a Christmas party where she meets Christopher. They immediately 'click', though not romantically/sexually. When a rom-com misunderstanding™ leads Christopher's ex to believe they are a couple, Haf agrees to accompany Christopher home for Christmas with his family in the traditional rom-com role of fake girlfriend™.
Shenanigans ensue. Everyone is a joy to spend time with - well, everyone but Christopher's ex's rebound guy, who is an irredeemably terrible human being.
And we know, because it is written on the book cover, that Haf will fall for Christopher's sister. Because of-course.
This book kept me grinning and chuckling through a mostly sucky time of year, and I've told my wife she has to read it immediately.
This is Lizzie Huxley-Jones' first published romance. I can't wait to read whatever she comes up with next.
Very highly recommended!
All the unlikely-yet-predictable shenanigans of a Christmas rom-com with lovable characters - not just the leads - and a steady flow of awkward/funny/snarky/yearning dialogue.
Haf (it's Welsh) is in her late twenties. She runs social media for an animal welfare group and is still wounded after a painful breakup. She is "plus size" and identifies as bisexual. Author Lizzie Huxley-Jones tells us Haf is autistic and dyspraxic (both undiagnosed and never mentioned in the novel, though observable in Haf's actions).
Haf and her flatmate, Ambrose (pronoun: "they", influencer), crash a Christmas party where she meets Christopher. They immediately 'click', though not romantically/sexually. When a rom-com misunderstanding™ leads Christopher's ex to believe they are a couple, Haf agrees to accompany Christopher home for Christmas with his family in the traditional rom-com role of fake girlfriend™.
Shenanigans ensue. Everyone is a joy to spend time with - well, everyone but Christopher's ex's rebound guy, who is an irredeemably terrible human being.
And we know, because it is written on the book cover, that Haf will fall for Christopher's sister. Because of-course.
This book kept me grinning and chuckling through a mostly sucky time of year, and I've told my wife she has to read it immediately.
This is Lizzie Huxley-Jones' first published romance. I can't wait to read whatever she comes up with next.
Very highly recommended!
December 20, 2024
Second read: Re-read this for book club, enjoyed it but not as much as the first time round. Still a very cute read!
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4.5/5 Stars
I absolutely adored this book, in fact the ending made me sob like a baby! I loved all the characters so, so much and really grew attached to them, in particular Laurel. The representation in this book is so wonderful - a fat autistic bisexual mc, a lesbian li with EDS, a male bisexual mc, a nonbinary sc - and I really found myself identifying with Haf as a result (more fat autistic sapphic rep pls!!). Overall this was a really fun read, though with some cringey elements early in the story, that I highly recommend!
Holiday reading 2022:
1. A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli
2. Make the Yuletide Gay by Ivy L. James
3. Make You Mine This Christmas by Lizzie Huxley-Jones
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4.5/5 Stars
I absolutely adored this book, in fact the ending made me sob like a baby! I loved all the characters so, so much and really grew attached to them, in particular Laurel. The representation in this book is so wonderful - a fat autistic bisexual mc, a lesbian li with EDS, a male bisexual mc, a nonbinary sc - and I really found myself identifying with Haf as a result (more fat autistic sapphic rep pls!!). Overall this was a really fun read, though with some cringey elements early in the story, that I highly recommend!
Holiday reading 2022:
1. A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli
2. Make the Yuletide Gay by Ivy L. James
3. Make You Mine This Christmas by Lizzie Huxley-Jones
January 7, 2023
See oli üks täitsa armas jõuludeaegne lugemine. Siin oli esindatud populaarne trope - fake dating. Päris alguses võttis mul ikka veidi aega, et raamatusse sisse elada, aga siis millalgi suutis see mu ikka kaasa haarata. Ütleme nii, et ega siin ju tegelikult mingeid üllatusi ei olnud ja kogu loo kulg oli etteaimatav. Aga no vahepeal ikka on vaja neid mõtlemist mitte vajavaid raamatuid ka lugeda, eksole 😄
Toredalt diverse oli see raamat ka - näiteks Ambrose kasutas they/them asesõnu, mis mind inglise keeles lugedes alati esialgu veidi segadusse ajavad, sest no ikka harjunud neid mitmuse kohta kasutama.. Eesti keeles on ikka hea lihtne, et ei ole mees- ega naissoost asesõnu. Erinevaid tegelasi oli siin veelgi, aga Ambrose meeldis mulle kohe eriti 🤭
Uute jõulude ajal täitsa soovitan lugeda. Või no samas miks mitte ka muul ajal, kuigi see on ikka täiega jõulune raamat.
Toredalt diverse oli see raamat ka - näiteks Ambrose kasutas they/them asesõnu, mis mind inglise keeles lugedes alati esialgu veidi segadusse ajavad, sest no ikka harjunud neid mitmuse kohta kasutama.. Eesti keeles on ikka hea lihtne, et ei ole mees- ega naissoost asesõnu. Erinevaid tegelasi oli siin veelgi, aga Ambrose meeldis mulle kohe eriti 🤭
Uute jõulude ajal täitsa soovitan lugeda. Või no samas miks mitte ka muul ajal, kuigi see on ikka täiega jõulune raamat.
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