I loved this one!  I read it in one day because I got so immersed in this small town, holiday romance between former high school classmates, now graduate students, Ash and Hazel. 

This rom-com takes place during the characters’ Christmas break from grad school at the University of Texas.  It is tropey in all the best snowed in/one bed, flirty Christmas shopping and gingerbread house making, dysfunctional family chaos kind of way. 

Ash is an earnest, conscientious 10/10 golden retriever who has been in love with Hazel since senior year in high school, when she was dating his dude-bro best friend.  Five years later, Hazel is 23 and finishing her first semester of her PhD program when she randomly wanders into Ash’s workplace, a small coffee shop off the college town beaten path.  She thought he couldn’t stand her; he thought she couldn’t stand him.  And the rest is history when they sit down and start talking to each other. 

This debut gives some really great laugh out loud moments, angsty moments, and overall warm and fuzzy, gentle vibes that will have you swooning over Ash and how much he adores Hazel.  The romance is open door but not explicit, and all of the spice feels organic to the characters and the story. 

I will be recommending this one as a holiday read and I look forward to this author’s next book. 

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read and review this novel.  All opinions are my own.