Review: Nick & Noel's Christmas Playlist by Codi Hall
Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
An absolute cover impulse but I’m glad I read this one! Is it a new favorite? No. But It was a fun contemporary holiday read with some spice, so I liked it. I don’t dig super cheesy Christmas books so I liked that this had a realistic spin to it mixed in with some holiday magic.
Synopsis:
“Nick Winter is just out of the military, and his Christmas homecoming is not going as planned. What was supposed to be a memorable holiday with his long-time girlfriend goes sour when he learns she cheated on him while he was stationed overseas. At least Nick can rely on his usual shift at the family Christmas tree farm with his best friend, Noel Carter, and her endless supply of Christmas tunes to lift his spirits. A night of fun together is just what he needs to forget about his ex.
But then they kiss. And it feels...so right.
If Noel can turn Nick's Blue Christmas merry and bright, this might be the last Christmas Nick spends with a broken heart. This year, they'll be Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree as a couple--as long as Nick's ex doesn't go standing under any mistletoe.” —Bookshop.org
What I Liked:
The Trope—I’m a sucker for a good friends to lovers romance, especially when it’s long time friends. I loved that Noel was the grumpy and Nick was the sunshine!
The Balance—This book could have been a super cheesy classic Christmas romance (which isn’t my thing) but it also had some spice and reality to it!
The Vibes—I loved the holiday vibes, it was the perfect amount! I thought with characters names Nick Winters and Noel in a town called Mistletoe I’d be in for some major holiday cheese but was pleasantly surprised!
What Didn’t Work:
A Little Immature—The situation was a little immature but also as someone 10 years out of high school now, I do think we hold onto the anxieties we felt back then, so maybe it was just the delivery!
Slut Shaming?? Maybe?? —I really can’t decide if the cattiness between Amber and Noel was anti feminist or not. It was a little predictable so maybe that’s what bugged me, but there were some moments that just felt sooo annoying and predictable.
The Playlist—Music didn’t feel like it played that big of a part…but maybe that’s because this was an Audible Original first so it go lost when put to the page.
Content Warnings:
Loss of parents, grief