This Is the Season to Make You Mine

Tis the Season Holiday Collection #2

by Johana Gavez

Will the Christmas magic help these two friends take a shot at love?

Morgan Bergman doesn’t want to go home for Christmas. She loves her family, but since her parents retired and her sister moved back to their hometown of Apfelville to take over the family business, she’s been avoiding them, feeling guilty about choosing her rising career in New York over her family.

Angie Gutiérrez would love to spend the holidays with her family, but she doesn’t have a choice. Moving to New York from Colombia to follow her dream of becoming a filmmaker means sacrifices need to be made, like spending the holidays alone.

Spending the holidays together in Apfelville seems the perfect solution. Morgan can use her best friend’s support and Angie doesn’t have to be on her own. There’s only one complication. All their friends and family think they should be together.

Hiding romantic feelings for your best friend is already hard enough without everyone meddling. Maybe all it takes is for one of them to take a chance.

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Contemporary, LGBT, Friends To Lovers, Holiday, Lesbian

128 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2022

About the author

Johana is a proud Colombian that loves losing herself in stories and fantasy worlds. She loves watching cooking shows, even though she can barely cook, and spending relaxing afternoons reading in her hammock. At risk of becoming a stereotype, she loves to listen to Shakira, Maluma and Karol G, but will always choose tea over coffee.

Her writing is centered on Sapphic stories with romance at their core. She loves fluffy novels where love always wins. She reads and would love to write any genre, but romance and mystery hold a special place in her heart.

You can find Johana on Twitter, Instagram (@johanagavez) and Facebook (@johanagavezauthor)

Download her free short story Cartagena Nights at https://johanagavez.com/cartagena

Reviews

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morgan and Angie are a couple (or so their friends think) but really they aren't. Roommates and best friends, both have hidden feelings for the other. Morgan's trip home to spend Christmas with her family at the apple orchard/cidery means that Angie will be left alone - far away from her own family in Columbia as she studies in the U.S. The best solution - invite Angie to join her for the Holidays.
This is the start to a romance built on a foundation of friendship and pushed by family and friends who see what the two lead characters are unable to express and decide to play cupid. Morgan's family is warm and loving, easily pulling Angie into the fold. There are a few sibling hiccups but all is well in the end. With subtle and not so subtle nudges, Emma and Morgan are pushed together and eventually under carefully placed mistletoe they kiss to everyone's delight and we're off to an eventual HEA..
I loved learning about Columbian Christmas traditions/food. Stella the ornery cat and side romance with Kay and Emma fit perfectly in the storyline.

A nifty Christmas romance to warm the heart.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute friends to lovers story with an incredibly supporting and fun family. I especially love Morgan’s dad and his crazy ugly Christmas jumpers.

[Stuffl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella with lovely Christmas vibes was really sweet and comforting. A friends-to-lovers romance about two best friends with a delicious slow burn. I love watching friends fall in love with each other and slowly dare to take the first step in a new direction in their relationship. I recommend this romcom! Really beautiful written.

[Lorraine Rusnack · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful holiday friends to lovers story. Morgan and and Angie are both hiding crushes on the other in fear of ruining their friendship. Just about everyone already thinks they are a couple. This a a sweet feel good story. Love is worth overcoming your fear and a solid friendship is a great foundation for a great love.

[JulesGP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morgan works in pr while Angie is a grad student in film school. They’ve been roommates in NYC for the past two years, starting out as friends but now they are in love. The problem is that they have not voiced their feelings to one another. Now, they’re heading to Morgan’s hometown for Christmas and they’re both thinking that it’s now or never. Super sweet story with plenty of pining and heart eyes. Country town adds to the warm holiday vibes. I enjoyed the book.

[Kexx · Rating 4 out of 5]

4*s is a bit harsh: but will they won’t they lasted for 80%+ of the book. When does tension drop and I think: just get on with it!!

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best friends to lovers... and they were roommates

My plan for the weekend is to marathon the entire Tis the Season collection, and I started with this one. Which turned out great, because it has a lot of tropes I love, and especially made them work SO well! This was SUCH a cosy read, basically like Netflix's Single All the Way but without the fake dating. It was low-conflict so it was a super comforting read, and I just have such a soft spot for best friends to lovers, especially when there's a good amount of pining on both sides.

[Fran Sappharc · Rating 3 out of 5]

The tile suggests intent but actually neither main is willing to take the risk to make the other theirs. There is no real angst and to be honest no real tension, so if you fancy a sweet, drama free Christmas romance, this is for you. I can’t promise you Santa will have you on the nice list but I can promise you a happy ending.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. Angie and Morgan are roommates and best friends. Both have feelings towards the other but neither wants to make a move in case it changes their friend dynamic. Morgan invites Angie to spend Christmas with her family upstate. Morgan’s family assumes and treats them like they are already a couple. Mom is especially pushy but in a an all’s fair in love way. This is as light and sweet as can be. No drama other than some sibling rivalry mixed with some guilt about the family business. Another new to me author.

[Aunt Missa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely little holiday novella. Low angst with some very cute physical comedy thrown in there. Some of the cutest and sweetest kissing scenes I’ve ever read. I’m partial to some sweet kisses that are slow and new. First time reading this author and after I’m finished gorging on holiday mirth, I’ll definitely be reading more of her work.

[Guerunche · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

A sweet little friends-to-lovers Christmas novella. It ends rather abruptly, but I enjoyed the story.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘This is the season to make you mine’ is a perfect, festive novella that really got me in the Christmas spirit. First off I love Gavez’s signature romcom style that brilliantly brings together an entire cast of characters for the MCs to bounce off of and real sweet humour that draws you in instantly. Morgan and Angie have been roommates for a while and as Christmas comes around Morgan is due to visit her family which would leave Angie alone because she cannot save for a plane ticket home to Columbia. So the two women head to Morgan’s family orchard and what feels like an entire community of friends and family who are convinced they are already dating- or they should be.
I loved the way both of them grew into admitting their own insecurities about evolving their friendship but in a completely plausible and beautiful way. I didn’t want this story to end because it is the ultimate fuzzy feeling that you want on a winter evening- gorgeous, sweet and wrapped in fairy lights- loved it.

[Lisa Pineo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet, lesbian holiday romance novella between two roommates yearning for more. Morgan and Angie have been into each other since they started living together but aren't sure if the other's feelings are romantic in nature and aren't willing to take the chance of ruining their friendship. Morgan is asked to come back home by her parents to help out with their orchard over the holiday season and she finally goes, with Angie. Lots of sweet family moments happen along with healing chats between Morgan and her sisters. And of course a HEA between the two main characters, as well as side characters. There was one semi-spicy scene which was nice to get. Lots of small town holiday vibes with this one and enough banter and drama to keep me entertained until the end.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Baylie Rast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another 3.5 star read. This one was kind of cute. Nothing like a little meddling from Mom to kick off a relationship. I love a super supportive, fun family dynamic!

[guiltless pleasures · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good! Good conflict, decent writing, a nice slow burn with plenty of pining, and a hot sex scene for the payoff. A solid four.

[Tammy Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Its the hardest thing to do, to see if your friend is really into you or just a close friend. You hope that after telling them you like them to be more than a friend and more of a girlfriend you just hope your not put down and the friendship is still good. A cute c story of friendship that takes it to the next level.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clueless dummies are the best

Another sweeeet story in this series, with a nice touch of comedy and great characters all around. Nothing to tarnish the feel good, fluffy feel of this reading.

And we got to get a glimpse of some old friend, Gabriela *-*

[Answer Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Johana Gavez has delivered the absolute quintessence of a perfect holiday romance a story so warm, so full of heart, and so beautifully relatable that it feels like coming home. This book isn't just a Christmas read; it's a heartfelt exploration of friendship, family, and the terrifying, wonderful leap into love, all wrapped in the cozy, glittering magic of the season.
From the very first page, Morgan and Angie felt real to me. Gavez has a gift for crafting characters who live and breathe. Morgan’s conflict the tug-of-war between a thriving career and the gentle, guilt-inducing pull of home is achingly familiar. Her avoidance of Apfelville isn't out of a lack of love, but from an overwhelming sense of not measuring up in a family whose roots run deep. And Angie! Her courage in leaving Colombia to chase her filmmaking dream, coupled with the poignant sacrifice of spending holidays an ocean away from her own family, made my heart both ache and swell with admiration for her. Their dynamic is the bedrock of this story: a friendship so genuine, so supportive, and so filled with easy laughter and deep understanding that you feel you’re eavesdropping on real best friends.
The genius of the setup is its delicious tension. The "friends and family think they're already together" trope is executed flawlessly here. It’s not just meddling; it’s a chorus of people who see the obvious, radiant truth that Morgan and Angie are too afraid to voice. Every nudge from a sister, every knowing look from a parent, every strategically hung mistletoe crackled with anticipation. Gavez masterfully uses this external pressure to turn their internal worlds inside out, forcing them to examine feelings they’ve meticulously compartmentalized.
The romantic tension is a slow, sweet burn the very best kind. It’s in the shared glances that last a beat too long, the casual touches that suddenly feel electric, and the safe familiarity that begins to feel dangerously like something more. You feel every ounce of Morgan’s and Angie’s fear: the terror of ruining the most important relationship in their lives. The author makes us feel the weight of that risk, which makes the eventual payoff all the more satisfying and earned.
Apfelville itself is a character a postcard-perfect holiday town that provides the most enchanting backdrop. It’s a place of twinkling lights, festive cheer, and a community that wraps you in a hug. The contrast between New York's solitary ambition and Apfelville's communal warmth perfectly mirrors the central emotional journey: from isolation to connection.
But what truly impressed me was how Gavez balanced the festive fluff with genuine emotional depth. This story tackles guilt, the immigrant experience, the definition of success, and the anxiety of change with a tender, respectful hand. It’s a romance that acknowledges life’s complexities, making the holiday magic feel not like a fantasy, but like a catalyst for honest, human courage.
"This Is the Season to Make You Mine" is a triumph of the genre. It’s the book you read with a cup of cocoa, a contented sigh, and a full heart. It delivers on every promise of festive cheer and friends-to-lovers bliss while offering substance and soul. To the author: you have crafted a modern holiday classic. This story is a sparkling ornament on the tree of romance literature beautiful, heartfelt, and destined to be revisited for many seasons to come. I adored every single page.

[Eliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the cutest christmas stories i have read lately, with an adorable family and side characters. So much friend to lovers goodness and besides the main couple the other romances in the book are the sweetest too.
“I hope this one isn’t bothering you. His dad jokes can get old quick.” Mrs. Bergman appeared next to her husband and planted a peck on his cheek. “He is delightful.” “See, I’m delightful!” he exclaimed, wrapping his arm around Mrs. Bergman’s waist. “You’re tired of my jokes because we’ve been together too long but see, someone appreciates me.” Mrs. Bergman pursed her lips in a smile and shot a look at Angie first before giving her husband another peck. “You know I appreciate your jokes. They’ll never get old.” Angie smiled and nodded at them as they continued with their banter. It was nice to see a couple be so in love. “I learned that friendship is the best foundation for a long-lasting marriage. It hasn’t been perfect. No relationship ever is. But through thick and thin, through the ups and downs, we always remained as best friends and that helped us make it.”

[llamallamacallurmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Most of my reviews contain detailed Content Notes (including CW/TW) sections, which may include spoilers and general tags. I have tried to mark them appropriately, but please use caution.**

3.5

Ebook

* Summary: Best friends and roommates, Angie and Morgan - who are NOT dating, thank you very much despite everyone’s hopes and insistence that they totally should - visit Morgan’s family and hometown for the Christmas holiday.

* Stats: CR, FF, holiday novella, cracked open door/fade to black, stand alone.

* Notes: I haven’t been as pleased with the two JG books I’ve read since Match to Love. The writing seems more stilted and the characters flatter. I still enjoyed this - it’s quick and sweet, and feels like a very real story about pretty real and straightforward characters, but it just didn’t make me love it. It’s Hallmarky and low angst, and completely enjoyable, it just didn’t have the punch I hoped for.

Incomplete, but still spoilery, Content Notes:
INCOMPLETE: alcohol, immigrant fmc

[Robert M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two best friends going home for Christmas. It was pretty good and from the reviews it sounded low angst which is what i like. Though, i must say, i was anxious. Some of these best friend to lovers books take long and complicated paths and can get quite dark. But, this is a Christmas story, i kept telling myself. Anyway, it was good and the family was super nice and there were some nice moments in it.
I don't think, i'll be re-reading it though as they weren't together for most of the book. And i kept wanting to shake them and tell them to say how they feel before it is too late (or turns into a nightmare like the one to hold my hand - ugh). Whoa that got dark, none of that happened. It was a fun Christmas story that i really liked.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

✔Sapphic Book Bingo Challenge 2024 🌈✨: Main Board - Holiday Romance

4 stars. Saccharine sweet and a very cute friends to lovers holiday romance. I’m a fan of Gavez’s writing. There’s just something about it that works for me and I find her characters to be endearing and they definitely were here. Morgan and Angie are best friends and roommates and they go to visit Morgan’s family for Christmas. While there they grow even closer and then finally admit to feelings for each other. It was just all so stinkin’ adorable. Morgan’s family is the best, especially her parents. They’re such kind people. This was a great little read that left me smiling by the end.

[Doug Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Is the Season to Make You Mine follows Morgan and Angie as they finally realize what everyone else has long known. They are not just roommates. They are in love with each other and have been for quite a while. This cute story has a few exasperating moments when the women are exceedingly reluctant to admit their feelings. Fortunately, this is a holiday novella, so love prevails in relatively short order. Overall, an enjoyable quick read.

[auteaandtales · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really enjoying this series, I love finding new authors as well! This was very cosy, low conflict and best friends to lovers. It’s not a trope I’m very familiar with but it’s how me and my partner got together so I’d love to read more of it. I also loved the family in the background being loving, accepting and meddling!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet friends to lovers story!

This is a cute story about two roommates, Morgan and Angie, who had been crushin' on each other but were too afraid to tell for fear of losing their friendship. Hiding these feelings became harder as more and more people started meddling, including Morgan's family. It's a warm, lighthearted story for the holidays!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable short, cute romance. I liked the characters, even the secondary ones. The two main characters, who are housemates, are avoiding their mutual attraction because they're afraid of ruining their friendship. (There's a lot of that going on in their social circle.) It was fun to read.

[The Paper Fan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet sapphic holiday romance. The friends to lovers trope was well written and really made you root for Morgan and Angie. I loved Morgan's family in the book, her dad was probably my favorite character. I thought the author did a great job of building the tension and fear of taking things to the next level with someone you care about . I will be continuing with this series .

[Karen Worden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Holiday Read, friends to lovers

Johana thank you for creating the perfect story to get us in the mood for the holidays with family! Friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes and this has the delicious added bonus of only-one-bed too! Johana, I hope you keep creating these stories. I’d love to learn even more about your Colombian culture too!

[Stacy Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was okay

It was a sweet story but lacking so much, I’m not being shallow but I hate pro nouns it confuses me and I normally won’t finish a book once I come across it, but I stuck with it, it’s not a book I’d read twice. No spice and epilogue wasn’t good