Shy Girls Can't Date Bullies

Ashworth Academy #2

by Milly Rose

Is the season of giving enough to bring us back together?

I wish I never saw it. But there he was, standing right in front of me, threatening other kids. Did I expect anything less from our school's worst bully? And now that the vice principal handed down his punishment, he assumes I ratted him out.

Being on the organizing committee for the Christmas dance was supposed to be fun. But now Beau Stevenson is forced to join us. We’re enlisted to teach him school spirit, but all we give him is terrified faces.

I’ve always strived to be an academically gifted good girl. My overprotective single dad warned me about bad boys like him. But now being stuck together after hours in the gym, buried memories resurface. When we’re alone, he’s no longer scary. Instead, he’s attentive and kind.

No one at school knows the secret Beau and I share. For years I’ve only seen him as a brute, but can I give this boy a second chance? There’s a deeper side to him. Is he willing to permanently become the boy I once loved?

You will love following Ava and Beau's love story. This is a high school bully redemption story, plus the story of a good girl falling for a bad boy. In forced proximity, they are both learning to love as their opposites attract. This is a young adult sweet romance set at Christmas time.

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Young Adult, High School, Young Adult Romance

387 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 21, 2022

About the author

Milly Rose is an animal-loving romance enthusiast with a swoon-inducing book formula. Shy girl + hot guy + first kisses. Her YA sweet romance books will have you falling in love every instalment. Milly Rose is the quintessential shy girl, who you can contact via her mailing list and reply to her monthly email blasts! Milly spends her days vying for her cat’s affection, dreaming up her next book boyfriend, and writing a fun meet-cute under candlelight with a lovely brewed cup of tea.

Instagram + Tiktok @shy.author.milly.rose

Reviews

[Book Nerdy 2020 · Rating 4 out of 5]

SHY GIRLS CAN'T DATE AT CHRISTMAS By Milly Rose

Beau is the school bully and Ava is the quite timid girl. As a punishment Beau is supposed to help with the Christmas dance.

😊What i liked -

✔ Bully Romance/High School Romance/Christmas Romance/Forced Proximity/Guy Falls First.
✔ My heart broke for both Ava and Beau. They each were going through their own personal struggles.(not excusing his bullying at all)
✔ I Liked how Beau owned up to his bullying. He strived to be better.
✔ The past they shared really paved the way for their feelings towards each other.
✔ My heart melted the first time Beau stood up for Ava, it was adorable.
✔ I loved the storyline, the heartaches, the bonds, the attraction and the cute Love.

🤔What could have been better -

✔ For whatever reason the other's did what they did to Ava, I absolutely hated Vanessa's part in it. She did behave like a spoiled brat. I wish it was shown that she owns up to it and faces the repercussions of it.


📚Who Should read :

👶Beginners
💝Romance Lovers
🎄Christmas Romance Lovers
🤕Bully Romance Lovers

📈My Rating : 4.5/5

P.s - Though am pis**d off at Vanessa, I am looking forward to reading her story.

Thank you Milly Rose for a copy.

[Katja · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this story the heroine Ava is rather anxious, hanging on the sidelines hoping not to attract attention to herself. She has lost her mother a few years ago, About the same time she drifted apart with her friend Beau. Beau has an aggressive reputation at school and people are afraid of him. But when they end up doing the same project for a school Christmas party it turns out Beau still likes her. She giggles a lot and thinks she loves him too but Ava's father is very controlling and doesn't want her to have anything to do with Beau so they need to be sneaking around. Beau is a somewhat morally ambiguous character because he has engaged in bullying behavior at school and somehow it becomes up to Ava to keep him on the straight and narrow, although it is largely due to his terrible parents that he acts out.

There were cute things about this that I liked. Sometimes the narration struck me as rather slow or unnecessarily wordy and I ended up skimming some of it in the middle. Towards the end it got more interesting as there is an incident with stolen photos and family secrets are getting out, and I wanted to see how it turns out. Ava's nerves rubbed off on me and occasionally made it stressful reading.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mella aka Maron]

DNF at 27%.

I REALLY tried with this one, but honestly, NOTHING WAS HAPPENING. This is the slowest of slow books. We don't need ALLLLLL this detail on their day-to-days and it was infuriating how much idle time we had.

Also, the characters and the atmosphere felt like... the teen shows you watch on tv that are nothing like how real teen life is. The fact that they won't even use a car because the mom died in a car crash?? Umm.... this girl is walking in FREEZING TEMPS to school?????

The only curiosity I had was if the bad boy had anything to do with the car crash or if his family did. Why else would they move away right after it happened?? Why else would she just decide not to talk to him ever??

But honestly, the book is WAY too slow for me to continue down this blah blah blah, each day until I get some answers.

I won't be trying any other of her books because if they're all this slow, I will never like them.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ava is still getting through life after the loss of her mother. Her father changed their hole life, after taking a leave from work until making it more permanent. After loves to stay in the shadows, waiting for crowds to thin before settling into the day. At the beginning of the begin we first meet Beau when he is harassing two boys. Ava was at the wrong place at the wrong time and his attention turned to her. But not to bully her but acknowledge her. In her physiology class her assignment is to turn one of her peers into a case study. After exhausting her only friendship Ava has to go elsewhere. Ava had excitedly been waiting for the end of the day to attend the Christmas Dance Committee only to have her rival ruin it, to top it off Beau reluctantly had to join.
It’s apparent that Ava and Beau have a past and it’s soon revealed what they shared. Regardless of Ava pushing Beau away, he was still there to always watch over her.
I loved how Beau was always there. Beau and Ava made each other better human beings. This book had a sweet romance, a tonne of family baggage and drama to the max. At the same time it felt with anxiety and a touch of depression. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was another hit from this author.
I was emailed this ARC for a honest review. Thank you Milly.

[Ana Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shy Girls Can't Date at Christmas is a young adult romance that follows Ava and Beau's love story. Ava and Beau grew up best friends but grew apart after incidents that occurred within their families. Despite years of not seeing each other, when they meet again it is clear that Beau has not forgotten Ava. Ava struggles with accepting Beau back into her life. As they get to know each other again other secrets are revealed, through it all their love for each other allows them to overcome what is thrown their way. I really enjoy reading this book!

I was provided and ARC by the author for an honest review.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

LOL WHATTTTT



THERE IS NOT A SINGLE BRAIN CELL IN THE BOOK LMAOOOOO
I really don't know where to begin with processing this book so this is it for now

[Gracie F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Wow! Wow!
This was such a fun and amazing read!
I loved getting to see Beau and Ava's story play out. This book is a perfect Christmas romance with lots of romance and a lot of drama.
The story was full of heart and one of a kind characters. Everyone was so full of life and well rounded.
I love Milly's writing and cant wait for book three.
Thank you Milly for an arc:)

[Marilyn Burrows · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a high school. Him and I were best friends when I was little. But now he is the school bully. Or is he city will love the twists and turns about high s hook friends, leadership, solving problems and surviving them all

[Christina Bowling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really excited for this book, and I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed. I absolutely loved Ava and Beau together. I wasn't sure if I would like Beau in the beginning, but he grew on me very quickly, and I really loved him by the end. He and Ava were cute together, and I enjoyed their story.

[Mah Verloren · Rating 4 out of 5]

challenging, dark, emotional, funny, inspiring, sad, tense & medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5 ⭐

* Childhood Friends to Lovers
* Xmas
* School
* Single POV
* YA
* Kindle Unlimited

Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Vomit, Classism, Car accident, and Infidelity

[Beatrice Rivers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ava’s life turned upside-down after she lost her mother. Her street no longer throws the massive festive street parties that her mother used to plan, and her father seems more concerned with her grades than her wellbeing. But as timid as Ava is at school, she refuses to let this Christmas pass her by. She has big plans for the Christmas dance, and being part of the committee is the only thing she does other than being at school, or doing homework, so it is a chance to finally make some friends, rather than just studying all the time.

There is, of course, one problem. Beau, the school’s worst bully, has been forcefully put on the committee in an attempt to teach him school spirit, as a punishment and a lesson all wrapped up in a very festive detention. Ava has a history with Beau, but now they are in close proximity, he has taken an interest in her. Not that he wants to bully her – he wants to talk to her, to get to know her. To spend time with her. And as much as Ava may be able to benefit from the fact that everyone else is so terrified of Beau they will do whatever he says, she absolutely does not agree with his violence in the slightest.

Ava and Beau’s relationship is a strange one. It is not enemies to lovers, for they were never particularly enemies, but it is also not friends or strangers to lovers. Ava and Beau were childhood friends, but their friendship fell apart with the death of Ava’s mother, when Beau’s family moved house, away from Ava. And as quick to violence as Beau is, he is gentle with Ava, kind when he is around her. It is thanks to him that the committee even gets off the ground in the first place, despite him not wanting to be there.

Beau may not be the best influence on anyone, but him being around, and taking a protective role over her, gives Ava the confidence to start to come out of her shell. She ends up in control of the committee, and takes her role very seriously, making sure everyone knows what they need to be doing, and ensuring everything runs smoothly. And as much as he doesn’t want to be there, Beau commits himself to the committee as well, for Ava’s sake, and works just as hard as everyone else to make sure her dream dance comes to life.

Ava and Beau’s romance is one that I greatly enjoyed reading about. They bring out the best in each other, Ava bringing out Beau’s gentle, caring side, and Beau giving Ava the confidence to do what she dreams of, and not being afraid to speak her mind. Together, they give each other what they need to become better people. It is not that they cannot live without each other, but rather that they can live better together, which makes it the kind of romance that utterly enchanted me throughout the book.

Ava’s Dad is a character I could not bring myself to like in the slightest. He loathes Beau with a passion, and doesn’t agree with Ava doing anything but things that are important to her education. He comes across at times like he is pleased she is making friends, but he dotes on Ava. In a way, it is almost like he is pretending she is still a little girl, like she was when they lost her mother. His moods go up and down, and he is often displeased with Ava and fully disapproving of what she does, and who she does it with. Ava finds herself having to hide things from him, just to keep the peace. It is not like he is the only dysfunctional parent in this book, but he is the one that takes centre stage, and I hated how he treats Ava.

I have not read many books based around Christmas before, for no particular reason, it is just a time of year that does not often come up in the books I read. This book made me feel especially Christmassy, especially with some of the visuals, of decorations along the street, and of the dance that Ava plans. This book made me want to put up fairy lights, and gather up my Christmas decorations. I could almost feel the frost in the air as I read. There is this magical feeling that comes with the month of December, the feeling that something special is coming, and I felt that all the way through this book, even though December is not quite here yet. I could feel the excitement, the whole magical feeling, and it felt like I was alongside Ava throughout the whole book. The author has done a wonderful job at bringing the wonder of the season to life among the pages.

This is a book I absolutely loved reading. I read it within a day, because I simply could not put it down. If you only read just one romance book this Christmas, it should be this one, because it is absolutely amazing.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hi! So I really like Milly's books and I think she does a great job.

I think this book specifically was cute and I did give it 3/5 stars - this is my 10 reasons why:
1. I liked Beau a lot. I love a morally grey bad boy with a hero complex. If you do, you will love Beau.
2. Ava is over the top shy. I did not like her as much in certain parts of the book but overall, she was alright. I DID think she was good for Beau and vice versa.
3. Their relationship as children sounds totally adorable. I did love all the memories.
4. I thought there was a lot going on from about 60% to the end. It wasn't necessarily a great thing, but it also didn't help. If you could see my hand, you would see me doing the gesture where you hold your hand flat out and wobble it back and forth with that unsure look on my face.
5. Ciera is a terrible friend, and I don't like her. I thought she was going to be a much better person than she was.
6. Vanessa is just awful. What a brat. I remember girls like her from high school and it made me hate her more. (you are supposed to hate her so even though this comment sounds negative, for the book, it's good writing)
7. The scandal (I will not give spoilers) between some adults in the book was crazy man. I feel for the kids but I don't think that Ava handled the situation well at all and just, oh poor Beau...
8. The scandal that happens at the school was just immature (I mean it's supposed to be so again, not a bad thing). I hated that for Ava and Beau so much. They seriously didn't need that.
9. I would just like to take a second reason to say, oh poor Beau!!! I loved him so much and I WISH that I could read his POV... One bonus chapter is not enough!!!!
10. I thought the book was a tad too long. It could have been shorter since the relationship progressed so quickly. I also feel like if her prior relationship with Beau was explained a little earlier on, it would have made me understand what was happening a little quicker. I was a little slow on the uptake with that. I also don't understand how nobody realizes that Ava and Beau used to be tied at the hip. I mean, didn't they all go to the same school since kindergarten? That's what it was like for me anyway. I graduated with people I was in Pre-K with...

I like Milly as an author and I think this book is great. I actually liked it better than the Billionaire one. The reason it has 3 stars and not 5 is more personal opinion about book length, character growth, and it not being a dual POV. I think that this is definitely worth the read if you want a cute, clean, high school romance to dive into.

I am part of the ARC review team and did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts in this review are my own! Thanks for reading my opinion!

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reader’s Notes:

– this is part of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone

– this is told from Ava’s point of view

– kisses include tongue

– Ava ends up with only a bra on her top half at one point due to a hot liquid being spilled on her, and a picture is taken of her in that state of undress

– there is some depictions of bullying and abuse from a parent

– there is mention of a past affair (between some of the adults)

– Ava’s mother passed away after being in a car accident (occurred prior to the start of the book)

Review:

I was a little uncomfortable with the kisses, but there weren’t too many and they weren’t uncomfortably long so I didn’t remove a star because of them.

I really enjoyed this Christmas romance! Once we got to see under Beau’s hurt, he was a sweetheart to Ava. I also really liked his protectiveness of Ava! I loved that despite her dad’s preconceptions, he actually tried to get to know Beau and later accepted him. I liked that Ava grew into herself in standing up for herself and the people she cared about. Some of my favorite scenes/moments included: the grand gesture, dinner with dad, picking out decorations together, Ava getting ready for the football game with the girls, Ava seeing Beau at the football game, the ticket sales announcement, and majority of the dance committee standing up for Ava & Beau’s relationship.

Summary:

Ava wants to help design the school’s Christmas dance this year, so much so that she has a binder filled with ideas. But when the first meeting comes, Ava fades into the background and lets someone else take credit for her hard work. That is until Beau speaks up.

The school’s resident bully is assigned to help with the dance in order to make up for his past deeds. No one expects him to do anything productive while there let alone stand up for anyone. So everyone is shocked by his outburst. And though Ava is grateful to have her ideas back, she doesn’t know what to make of Beau. Between knowing him as a friend during their childhood and hearing the rumors of his bullying around school, how is she supposed to know fact from fiction when it comes to knowing Beau’s character?

As they spend more time together in planning the dance and talking about their past, Ava thinks she wants to know more about the boy she once knew. But with reminders all around her saying that Beau is no good, can Ava choose to find the good in him or will she succumb to everyone else’s perspectives?

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is nearly Christmas I decided to give Shy Girls Can’t Date at Christmas by Milly Rose a try. This book is definitely targeted at a younger audience such as teenagers.

The story for me was confusing because it didn’t feel like the author had her thoughts together when she started writing. This is why outlining is essential. It takes several chapters to answer basic questions like … what happened to the neighborhood? How can the death of Ava’s mom have such a devastating effect on everyone who lived in their cul-de-sac that everyone (literally everyone!) seemed to cease functioning normally? Why is Beau’s mom upset with Ava? Why does Ava’s dad hate Beau? I don’t understand!

I don’t even think calling Ava shy is appropriate. Before her mom passed away she wasn’t so freaked out all the time. Being freaked out is not synonymous with being shy. If at all, the only time she really exhibited behavior that could be deemed shy is in the first two or three chapters.

After ten chapters we discover that Beau’s “acting out” started as a way to get his parents’ attention. How original! (sigh) And, apparently, four years later, even after he acknowledges this as truth, he still can’t help but continue to do it even though he says “it is useless”. How does that make sense? Also, he stopped being a bully when he was able to spend time with Ava.

Twenty chapters in and while a relationship develop between the two, I still don’t know why there is a stick up the parents’ collective butts. I think it is an important detail that will help explain and perhaps resolve parental issues in the book.

To be honest, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would since I love young love and Christmas stories. At best I would say it is okay.

[DJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d like to start off (as I normally do for these ARC reviews) with thanking Milly for the ARC in exchange for a set of collages and an honest review for her second official installment of the Shy Girls Sweet Romances Series.

Now this is a story I was first intrigued by. Because I’m not someone who likes the whole redeemed bully trope. I never believed that a bully could be redeemed but maybe that’s just a personal thing. When I read, I try my best to put my personal things behind me. This especially goes for ARCs because I want to be as honest as I can be.

You’d think that as someone who read her fair share of YA romance novels that I would have expected some of this. Nope! A fair amount of these things were surprising to me (not the ending but that’s just a lucky guess on my part) and I was a little conflicted at first. Now, I see the reasoning behind this. I thought that Beau would have been Ava’s bully at first but he used to be the exact opposite and his redemption is different from the bullies I’ve read about.

There are moments in this book that will make you swoon. Even though Beau is an alpha male, I found it kind of adorable that we saw his walls crumble when he was around Ava (and it didn’t take long for that to happen either given their past).

So if you want to enjoy a sweet Christmas story (not that movie lol), then go and read Milly’s Christmas novel once it’s out on Kindle Unlimited or just on Amazon!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fun YA novel with a forced proximity trope tells the story of a shy girl named Ava who finds herself running a committee for the upcoming school Christmas dance. Ava is a shy introvert who hyperventilates when the attention is on her! When her principal announces that the school is trying a new type of detention and the school bully, Beau, is suddenly on her planning committee, she has to figure out a way to take charge even though she doesn't like the spotlight, and find a way to get along with Beau. Ava quickly begins to remember why she liked Beau when they were kids, and tries to figure out what role he may play in her life going forward, but first, they have a dance to plan!

I appreciated the character development and the slow introduction of information about their pasts. Additionally, while both main characters grow and change over the course of the story, Ava really blossoms and learns a lot about herself and who she wants to be as the novel progresses. I also liked that it was generally quite tame in the romance area, as I would be comfortable recommending this book to young adults and teens. With teens in mind, I think that the very high school themes, such as cliques, clubs, dances and hiding part of the story from your parents, are all things that young adults will relate to and be interested in.

I am so glad I had the chance to read and voluntarily review this book! Thanks to the author, Milly Rose for giving me an advance copy!

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this YA novel. It has some intense elements that challenge the romantic relationship. Ava and Beau had been best friends but fell away from each other until Beau’s punishment had him helping on the Christmas dance committee with Ava. The intervening years had seen Beau’s reputation as the school bully firmly established so Ava was skittish at first. As their connection redeveloped and deeper feelings emerged, they had to face many naysayers, and even more baggage from the past than they expected. Both main characters experienced a lot of growth. Ava had to engage more and become more assertive. Beau had to control his reactive and impulsive behaviours and face his anger and hurt. “‘I never wanted a legendary status,’ [Beau] says. ‘Everything snowballed into bigger and worse things.’ Hope tingles in my body. ‘Snowballs melt.’” As a couple, Ava and Beau were sweet and supportive. The romance was really nice. While this book is part of a series and there is some carryover, it reads as a standalone. There are elements in the story of bullying, violence, threats, parental death, grief, parental estrangement, domestic violence, and infidelity. This is a closed door romance with descriptive kissing (of the French variety) and making out, mild innuendo, and infrequent mild harsh language.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Toni Benton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ava is a shy girl who is still dealing with the loss of her mother in a car accident. Her dad is very attentive and cherishes her, but he’s focused on molding her into the person he wants her to be. Everything from her schoolwork, to extracurricular activities, even down to her friends. Her life is not her own, she’s the quiet girl, the smart girl, and she’s bullied. But when she decides to channel her mother & wants to organize her high school’s Christmas dance, she is met with some life changing moments & decisions.

Beau is the bad boy who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. The disciplinary board is out of ideas for punishment, so they decide to force him to join the planning committee for the same Christmas dance.

Beau is feared by many of his peers, and even though Ava prefers not to be around him, she’s not afraid. She has other reasons why she doesn’t want to be around him…they were childhood best friends forced apart by circumstance. Beau backs Ava at all costs, but sometimes, that cost is at the budding rekindled friendship with Ava.

As Beau & Ava are forced together time & again, I loved watching how Beau cherished Ava & has always been there in the background. Ava is hesitant to let him back in, but he slowly wears her down. Their relationship has jumped hurdles & come out the other side stronger.

[Kendra Muonio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is the season of giving enough to bring us back together?

I wish I never saw it. But there he was, standing right in front of me, threatening other kids. Did I expect anything less from our school's worst bully? And now that the vice principal handed down his punishment, he assumes I ratted him out.

Being on the organizing committee for the Christmas dance was supposed to be fun. But now Beau Stevenson is forced to join us. We’re enlisted to teach him school spirit, but all we give him is terrified faces.

I’ve always strived to be an academically gifted good girl. My overprotective single dad warned me about bad boys like him. But now being stuck together after hours in the gym, buried memories resurface. When we’re alone, he’s no longer scary. Instead, he’s attentive and kind.

No one at school knows the secret Beau and I share. For years I’ve only seen him as a brute, but can I give this boy a second chance? There’s a deeper side to him. Is he willing to permanently become the boy I once loved?this was a quick read for me that had me staying up too late to finish it.i can relate to Avery cause I was shy in school.i received an advanced copy of the book from the author so these are my thoughts on the book.

[Natalie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a mess. I was getting whiplash from the characters changing their minds every five seconds. Ava hated Beau, then was attracted to him, then hated him, then wanted to date him…it was all very confusing. Ava’s father went from super overprotective to totally hands off, and would alternate between having screaming fits at his daughter and being super compassionate and understanding.

Beau’s “justification” for being a bully didn’t sit well with me either and a lot of the stuff he did was pretty awful. I don’t blame the dad for not wanting Ava with him. Then suddenly he’s a marshmallow? There was no redemption for him - it just kind of happened.

I also hated all the DRAMA. Drama is not what I am looking for in what could have been a sweet Christmas read. This was also much longer than it needed to be. It probably could have been a 100-150 page novella and told the same story.

[Bri · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I would like the author for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second Shy Girls book I’ve read and I enjoyed a new story in this world.

The story is about Ava, studious shy girl, and Beau, school bully, who are childhood friends that are thrown back together to plan the Christmas Dance at Ashworth Academy. It is a sweet book about second chance at friendship that turns into more.

What I liked:
- Christmas Dance, I didn’t go to a school with a Christmas dance but how it all came together I would have loved a dance like that when I was in High School
- Beau, even when they weren’t talking he was always looking out for Ava and he seems like a great first boyfriend for any girl
- Dance committee, there are some bumps in the road with this group but they were all pretty supportive of Ava and turns into a great friends
- First love, Beau and Ava’s relationship is a great representation of first love with some issues along the way and kids being kids

Overall this is a sweet holiday read, as it is a story about a high school relationship know there is extra drama that can get a bit much but is representative of how some people are at that age.

If you like sweet young adult romance and are looking for a quick holiday read, I think this would fit the bill and maybe you can check out the other Shy Girls books after!

[Miss Pippi the Librarian]

Shy Girls Can't Date at Christmas is Book 02 in Milly Rose's Shy Girls Sweet Romances

+ Standalone Novel
+ Christmastime
+ Second Chances
+ Single POV from Ava
+ Moving from hurt to healing

🎄🎄🎄

I enjoyed book one, Shy Girls Can't Date Billionaires, but book two wasn't my cup of tea. 😬 Ava's shyness and anxiety made me anxious while reading. Bad boy Beau traveled a long path from bestie to bully to boyfriend. I'm cheering for him to continue to walk his kinder path. The parents in the book had a lot to trek through as well - mourning, betrayal, anger, and forging better relationships with their children. I'm intrigued to hear if Vanessa gets a story. Her choices in this story were very disappointing, but what happens next!?

Give this holiday book a read and let me know your thoughts!

Reviewed from an eArc. Thank you, Milly!
All opinions are my own.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotion and sweetness floods from the pages in this tale of a never-lost friendship, which turns into more.

Ava and Beau were childhood friends, who ended up going separate ways. Now, they meet again as two very different individuals (thanks to growth and change over the years). This one does throw in some high school drama, misunderstandings, and, for all things, romance, and it does it in a natural and very satisfying way. Both have their goals and learn to have an understanding relationship, which shows a nice amount of growing maturity and depth. I did enjoy this newest edition to the series even more than the last one and can recommend it to young adult romance fans, especially for the upcoming, Christmas season.

I received a DRC and enjoyed the tale quite a bit.

[Dee Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ava hides against the walls at school because no one ‘sees’ her. Ever since her Mum died the only thing she does is school work to make her Dad happy. Everyone knows Beau and they all move out of his way, everyone is scared of him. He doesn’t try to make anyone happy, why should he, he’s not. He’s a bully but he’s never hurt Ava. They are forced to work together, which scares Ava to death, but Beau wants to talk to her. They used to be best friends until just before her Mum died but that was four years ago, now they don’t know each other at all. A school assignment gives Ava insight and answers and lead her to forgive Beau, even though she’s still a little scared at times but he’s really trying to be better - for her. A tragic, emotional, personal growth/coming of age story, with bullying, a few scenes of abuse, teen angst, kissing, high school drama, mystery and sweet moments with a HEA. A great YA read with a lovely Christmas backdrop.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review
I was received an ARC from the Author. Book is already out.
Having read the first book in the series Shy Girls Can’t Date Billionaires and loving it. I was happy and excited to read Shy Girls Can’t Date At Christmas. This book had some of my favorite tropes of forced proximity, second chance, redemption, to name a few. Going into this book, I had high hopes for it. I also had a feeling that I was going to love it and let me tell you, I did. It didn’t let me down. Beau and Ava were really sweet together and just what I needed to start my Christmas reading. My one complaint is Vanessa. She should have been dealt with. Ah well. Looking forward to reading more from the series and more from Molly Rose.
Until next time, peace and happy reading

[Bookish Thais💌 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for giving me a free ARC in return for an honest review.

DNF at 65%

I had really high expectations for this book, seeing as I gave Milly Rose’s other book 5 stars but from the beginning this book was not it for me. I disliked all the characters. The main character Ava and Ciara are in my opinion pathetic, especially Ciara. Any encounter there was with her, her lips were always trembling or there were tears in her eyes. It was just so so annoying. I started to actually see progress between the 2 main characters after the 50% mark. I hated almost all the characters because I either found them useless or just intolerably annoying. The book is very predictable even the “plot twist”. I honestly expected more from this book but oh well, maybe next time.

[Megan Shier · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 56%. This book started off well. It’s set in high school and the writing felt like it was being written from a high schooler’s perspective. The romance was appropriately juvenile and the giggles felt well timed for the awkward beginnings of first love.

Unfortunately, the story dragged. The juvenile writing started to feel less like an intentional style choice. The big twist, that I haven’t reached in the book but read through reviews to confirm, was easy to spot in advance. I started trying to drag through the mundane play by play chapters to get to the reveal but I can’t continue. There are too many books to be read!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Milly Rose's Shy Girls Can't Date at Christmas. Ava and Beau have a history.  They grew up together and were best friends until Beau had to move. Then Ava's mom died. Both dealing with traumatic issues and being separated, makes dealing difficult. Ava seeks perfection in her grades, Beau acts out and bullies others for attention. Makes one wonder how they would be if they had each other to lean on. Looking forward to the next shy girl story.

[Becca Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't gush enough about this book! Not only does Milly Rose create an amazingly adorable romance, but she dives into deep issues as well, giving a reason as to why someone like Beau would turn to bullying as a way of coping. Just brilliant. And such a fast read! I read it in one sitting and was dying for more!! This world Milly Rose is creating in the Shy Girls Series is one of my absolute favorites! I can't wait for the next one! Highly recommend!

[Ashley Stroup · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute Christmas/second chance romance with a childhood friend who turned school bad boy. Ava is the shy girl, who is also mourning the loss of her mother. Beau, the bad boy, has a hard time staying out of trouble. Ava and Beau are thrown together a lot and Beau backs her and comes to cherish her so much. She is very hesitant to let him back in but he slowly wears her down and they get their HEA.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.