Long time nemeses and rival neighbors butt heads in a fierce competition for first place in their neighborhood’s Christmas house-decorating competition in this high-spirited holiday romance.
Intrigued? Read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison, which releases on October 20th 2026.
The local rumor mill in Nisa Ansari’s small highland town is swirling about the downfall of her marriage, and in desperate need of a distraction, she enters her town’s Christmas house-decorating competition. The competition comes with the added bonus of getting on neighbor Kerr Murdoch’s last nerve. It’s the least she could do, considering her ex-husband left Nisa for Kerr’s girlfriend. And maybe if Kerr smiled or cracked a joke—just once!—his girlfriend would’ve stayed, and Nisa wouldn’t find herself alone during the holidays.
Introverted Kerr has trouble feeling comfortable around people he doesn’t know well. Newly single, he decorates his house in remembrance of his mother, who always had a soft spot for Christmas lights. But when Nisa’s and Kerr’s decorations end up nearly identical, he incurs Nisa’s wrath.
This means all-out war, complete with gaudy wreaths, twinkle lights, and too many reindeer to count. Never mind that Nisa can’t keep her eyes off Kerr’s toned forearms. Or ignore that he’s a pet-loving veterinarian with a heart of gold. After conceding to her husband’s wishes for years, Nisa is determined to get her way. But as Christmas draws near, Nisa must decide what she actually wants: the familiar rivalry she’s had for years with Kerr, or opening herself up to the chance to fall in love with someone new.
EXCERPT
I let out a slow breath, forcing myself to scroll past the photograph. I knew that I should unfollow Drew, or at least mute him from my feed, but every time the thought crossed my mind, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Because then it would feel like giving up on us forever.
Finding out he had a new girlfriend had been like a sucker punch to the gut. My mantra that this was merely a phase, that Drew would soon realize the error of his ways and come home, had become weaker since he’d taken up with Aileen a couple months ago. Saying it out loud, as I had to Rona earlier, was a tactic to force myself to still believe. But despite the fact that this trial separation he’d wanted now included a new girlfriend, I couldn’t let the tiny flame of hope be snuffed out. He might find his way back to me yet. I just had to figure out how to distract myself from him in the meantime. Putting up the tree had helped a little, but seeing it in position had reminded me that last time it stood in the corner of the living room, Drew had been here with me.
I continued to scroll, hoping that no other triggering photos would cross my path. But a few posts down something else caught my eye, for different reasons entirely. Something on the town social media page.
The Inaugural Inverglen Christmas Lights Competition!
Do you think your property is the most festive in the land? Click the link below to enter, then decorate your house by Christmas Eve, when our team of judges will walk the streets to decide who wins first prize for best-dressed house! The lucky winner will be announced on Boxing Day and will win a luxury weekend stay for two at the Loch Glen Hotel and Spa.
Excitement sparked in my system, sidelining my melancholy for a moment. What better way to kill two birds with one stone than to enter the competition? It would provide me with the distraction I was craving, turbocharge my Christmas spirit, and also—as a bonus—be an eyesore for Kerr grumpy‑arse across the road. He was a total grinch all year round and had never decorated the outside of his house, so surely going over the top with decorating would piss him right off.
Granted, I’d never really decorated the exterior of the house before either, save for some so‑subtle‑you‑could‑hardly‑see-them icicle lights under the living room window. But that was just because Drew hadn’t wanted our house to look too gaudy. However, he wasn’t here right now, so that gave me free rein, with no one else’s feelings to consider. Except Izzy’s, but I was sure my feline companion wouldn’t mind.
As if hearing my thoughts, Izzy jumped onto my lap, purring in contentment and rubbing her soft head against my hand—which was still holding the phone with the photo of sparkly Christmas lights on display. So, I took that as a sign of approval.
Excerpted from THE CHRISTMAS COMPETITION by Zoe Allison, published by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2026
