Book Blurb:
Chronic people-pleaser Chloe Hollis is determined to finally learn how to get over her fear of rejection. Her unconventional solution? She must collect ten "nos" before Christmas Day by asking strangers for the most ridiculous favors she can dream up. But her plan goes hilariously off-track when she meets James Dutton.
James, a rule-following workaholic, has decided to do the exact opposite of he's saying "yes" to every opportunity that comes his way in hopes of finally embracing life--and maybe a little Christmas spirit.
As they continue to get tangled up in each other's wild experiment, Chloe and James find themselves in a whirlwind of festive, awkward, and delightful situations. But no one is more surprised than they are to realize they're falling in love.
With sparkling humor and swoon-worthy heart, this delightful Christmas rom-com is a feel-good story about facing fear head-on, choosing growth over comfort, and finding the courage to say "yes" to the things--and the people--that truly matter.
Tropes:
*Netgalley ALC *Holiday Romance *Rom-Com *Hallmark Vibes *closed door *Green flag MMC
*State Challenge West Virginia (Repeat) *Strangers --> More *insta loveish *Miscommunication/no communication *Small Town Romance
Thoughts:
Chloe (FMC) is a people pleaser she has a long history of doing things other people want her to do including dropping out of college because her boyfriend at the time wanted her to. She grabbed a job that is fairly boring (for her) and even though she is dedicated to the job and stays way later than everyone else her personal life has suffered in the process.
One late evening when her boss (also staying late) trys talking her into committing fraud she decides that she has had enough and it's time for her to change her trying to please everyone ways... she quits her job, packs up or sells off her belongings and makes her way back to her small home town in West Virginia... she feels like a flop now jobless, living with her parents with no husband but she'll just have to pick herself up and move on with her life.
Chloe has been reading a self help book and has decided that part of her change should be attempting to get 10 rejections (no's) from strangers for her own personal growth, running into James at the airport she decides to start with him he is going to say no and she will have her first point... only problem is he's not saying no...
Next thing you know Chloe is giving him a ride to his sister's place but on the way makes several unnecessary stops (in a snow storm) for different wacky ideas and he goes along with all of them... weirdly enough he wants to see her again after she's put him through all of this.
James is a hard worker and lives in New York but has decided that he has been not enjoying life enough and wants to say yes to more things and be more spontaneous, meeting Chloe and just going with the flow has really opened him up to new things (even if he isn't fully on board).
James is visiting his sister and her family but wants to spend more time with Chloe too, the more he gets to know her the more he likes her... only Chloe getting further along in her book has discovered that maybe he is reading the book too and just going along with her plans to say "yes" more and not because he likes her.
Will this holiday romance be over before it even really begins?
Naturally this comes along with the small town romance feel of the meddling neighbors, family members and best friend who is trying to have Chloes's best interests at heart.
Things I liked:
I did like the small town cozy holiday rom-com vibes and thought that Chloe and James had cute moments.
Some funny rom-com type moments throughout
I enjoyed the family togetherness vibes and how welcoming they were of James coming along to the gathering
Negatives:
*kind of dragged on at times, pacing was off the chapters were really long but some only covered a few hours, while others were a day or so later?
*immature FMC led to me not liking the story as much as I wanted to but at least she had some emotional growth by the end.
*I was really more upset with Chloe from jumping to conclusions about James then having him go through a bunch of nonsense over it... she put James through it... I was wanting him to run the other way multiple times throughout this book.
*The plot of --> Chloe's plan to make up wild scenarios to ask strangers so they would say no, not sure how this would help her grow away from her people pleasing nature, I think what would have been better if she had gone to see a counselor and learned that saying no is ok if it's something you don't have time to do, or if you can't help in the moment... not the end of the world and you can't please everyone all the time.
*miscommunication/no communication really got in the way of things... if a simple conversation could have been had sooner it could have saved both of them a lot of issues.
I really wanted to like this book more but it was just ok for me I saw it's being turned into a movie so might check it out to see how they deal with it.
The Narrator Karissa Vacker did a great job with the story and kept me listening, the book did start to get better for me towards the end and I don't know if I would have stuck with it if I had been reading it.
Have you read this one? what did you think?
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