Title:
Season of Love
Author:
Helena Greer
Release Date:
October 11, 2022
Format:
E-Book
Genre:
Romance
Sub-Genre:
Holiday, LGBTQ+
Rating:
Read-A-Likes:
Summary:
Miriam Blum has no choice but to face the past she thought she’d left behind when she inherits her great-aunt’s Christmas tree farm in this witty, glittering, heart-filled romcom.
Thanks to her thriving art career, Miriam Blum finally has her decoupaged glitter ducks in a row—until devastating news forces her to a very unwanted family reunion. Her beloved great-aunt Cass has passed and left Miriam part-owner of Carrigan’s, her (ironically) Jewish-run Christmas tree farm.
But Miriam’s plans to sit shiva, avoid her parents, then put Carrigan’s in her rearview mirror are spoiled when she learns the business is at risk of going under. To have any chance at turning things around, she’ll need to work with the farm’s grumpy manager—as long as the attraction sparking between them doesn’t set all their trees on fire first.
Noelle Northwood wants Miriam Blum gone—even if her ingenious ideas and sensitive soul keep showing Noelle there’s more to Cass’s niece than meets the eye. But saving Carrigan’s requires trust, love, and risking it all—for the chance to make their wildest dreams come true. -From Goodreads
What I Liked: Despite featuring two characters with deep, emotional trauma, this book still managed to be light and hopeful. I loved that Greer decided to write a faithful Jewish character and that Christmas, while always in the background, wasn’t the main focus. I loved that Noelle was a proud Butch character, something not seen often in romances, and that everyone else wasn’t a cookie-cutter romance character. The mutual respect Miriam and Noelle have for each other was a delight to read and the theme of generational trauma was well-written and thoughtful.
What I Didn’t Like: I don’t like it when authors over explain things because I feel it takes the reader away from the world the author is trying to create, but in the case of this book, I think some more information would have been beneficial. There were times when I thought I had missed something or that this book was part of a series because characters were mentioned that weren’t in the book and moments that happened in the past I felt needed some context. There was also a bit of a repetitive nature to the story, especially towards the middle, with scenes of Miriam and Noelle seemingly having the same conversations over and over. There were just too many scenes of them weighing the pros and cons of getting together that when they finally do, I was almost over it. I also had trouble buying their relationship in the end because there isn’t much build up to the romance and their getting together felt rushed.
Who Should Read It: Those looking for a non-traditional Christmas romance will want to pick this one up, as well as fans of romances that aren’t afraid to deal with heavy topics.
Review Wrap Up: Not all holiday-themed romances need to be about Christmas, nor do they need to be light and fluffy and this book proves that you can have a holiday story that deals with heavy topics while still managing to bring the festive cheer. This won’t be for everyone-the trauma may be too much for some-but if you want to take a chance on something different this season, you should give this book a try.
Favorite Quotes:
“She realized she’d forgotten what it felt like to have someone who had been with you for all of your past, who understood who you’d been at every point of your life.”
“You have a deeply strange soul, and it’s pretty incredible.”
“Sometimes we’re too ashamed of our secrets to tell them to the people we most want to love us.”
*Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
The Spinster Librarian 