I needed a fun, holiday romance to listen to/read on a long road trip, so I downloaded this holiday romance book by Katie Bailey. I was pleasantly surprised to love it! I don’t typically like holiday romances, as I feel the holiday cheer is a little too forced, but this one captured the holiday cheer perfectly and kept to the main plot of the romance between the two characters.

Synopsis:

'Tis the season to get even...

When Maddie Grainger's longtime boyfriend dumps her on TV for the entire world to see, she thinks she's hit rock bottom.

Until her parents announce that they're spending the holidays with her ex's family... And he'll be bringing the woman he left her for.

All Maddie wants for Christmas is to stick it to her cheating ex. But how?

Enter Sebastian Slater, the NHL's most infamous player.

On a drunken night out in Vegas, Maddie asks the superstar athlete to pose as her new boyfriend. She's kidding, mostly. But Seb shocks her by making a counter offer: he doesn't want to date Maddie for the holidays... he wants tomarryher.

Show up at her ex's cabin alone, or with a surprise new hockey-playing husband? Maddie opts for the ultimate level up.

Because maybe, just maybe, revenge is a dish best servedbetrothed.

Sparks fly and Christmas cheer is abundant in this festive marriage of convenience rom com. Season's Schemings is a closed door/fade to black romance that includes mild language, innuendo, and tons of sizzle without the spice.

My Review:

This may be a tad too generous, but dare I give this book five stars? This had everything I want in not only a romance novel, but a holiday romance novel. I don’t typically like holiday romance novels, or at least the ones I read—the holiday parts or the Christmas backdrop always felt a little forced in previous holiday reads. But this one is different. 

Maddie’s longtime boyfriend dumps her on live TV. She thinks she hit rock bottom, until her parents announce they’re spending the holidays with her ex’s family … and he’ll be bringing the women he left her for. On a drunken night in Vegas (much like What Happens in Vegas LOL), Maddie asks the superstar athlete on the hockey team that she started working for to pose as her new boyfriend. But Seb, the superstar athlete, counter offers with asking her to marry him—for reasons of his own (immigration and securing a visa green card to stay on his professional hockey team).  

This was a fun, romantic, heartwarming holiday romance that I enjoyed reading. The Christmas season was an excellent setting choice for this book and didn’t feel forced at all. The romance was definitely romancing between Seb and Maddie. Their relationship felt like the lyric, “The rest of the world was black and white, But we were in screaming color” (Out of the Woods, Taylor Swift). I loved the hockey team’s hilarious antics but loving support for their teammate Seb, and Maddie, as they welcomed her in. I loved Seb being a rock for Maddie as she faced her ex, her ex’s new girlfriend, her ex’s family, and her own family as they disapproved of Maddie’s “reckless” decision. 

The writing was a tad cheesy at times, but it didn’t take away from the story or the characters. In fact, I actually found myself laughing out loud at some of the dialogue.

Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend for a fun holiday romance. I loved the audiobook! Highly recommend for fans of Christina Lauren, Tessa Bailey, and Sarah Adams. The spice level was low—I would give it a 2/5? Closed door, mostly, with a few explicit scenes, but not too much.

Rating: 5/5

Buy on Amazon, Bookshop.org.