Noel: “Glad to be back home?”
Nick: “Absolutely. In fact, I may make a special playlist about what home means to me.”
When Nick Winter comes home to stay after serving in the military, he is shocked when his long-time girlfriend dumps him. Similarly, Nick’s best friend Noel, an orphan who has known Nick since they were in diapers, is surprised when her hook-up partner posts a romantic picture with a different girl on social media. To save face in front of their exes whilst at a bar celebrating Nick’s homecoming, Nick and Noel share a passionate kiss on the dance floor…what should have been awkward turns out to be very enjoyable! But Noel, who is no stranger to loss, has a hard time committing; is it worth risking her relationships with Nick and his family, some of the only people that Noel is close with, for a chance at something more? Things get even more complicated when Nick and Noel’s exes try to rekindle their relationships and some of Nick and Noel’s friends reveal a few unexpected holiday surprises.
Nick and Noel’s Christmas Playlist is a sexy slowburn “friends to lovers” holiday romance novel that uses the fake dating trope. This book would be perfect for lovers of The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, and Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur. This book deals with themes such as death and loss, love and heartbreak, character, overcoming fear, family, female roles, loneliness, reunion, war, vulnerability, as well as inner and outer strength. The moral of the story, as Noel comes to realise, is that you shouldn’t let your fears of loss and heartbreak keep you away from romance and love; “[she] realised that by pushing her parents and past away, she hadn’t been able to move forward with her life. It left her stunted and closed to all of the possibilities life had for her, including love.”
First off, Nick and Noel’s Christmas Playlist exceeded my expectations! I loved how there were a lot of chart toppers and Christmas songs referenced throughout this book. Nick has the perfect playlist for every type of occasion and there is even a playlist included at the end of the book—I will definitely be listening to this non-stop in December! I liked how even though this book was “Christmasy” (e.g. Nick’s family’s Christmas tree farm, the Mistletoe Christmas Concert, as well as a lot of the main characters’ names), it wasn’t overdone. Although ideally suited for the Christmas season, Nick and Noel’s Christmas Playlist could be read at any time of the year. Lastly, I’d like to share one of my favourite quotes from the book that I think perfectly describes Nick and Noel’s unique relationship: “Unicorns are overrated. You’re a Hippogriff.”
Some minor cons for me were that this book was a bit of a tear-jerker because Noel does a lot of reminiscing about her late parents. Also, even though it was comical, I was not a fan of the stripper show at Brews and Chews, followed by finding Nick’s ex-girlfriend, Amber, to be extremely annoying; she kept on showing up even though it was clear that she was an unwanted source of conflict for the other characters. Lastly, I found that all the drama going on at the end of the book got wrapped up unrealistically fast.
Since this is the first book in Codi Hall’s Mistletoe Romance book series, I am really hoping that there will be another story featuring these wonderful characters. It would be great to find out if anything happens between Nick’s sister Holly and her “Grinch” of a neighbour because there seemed to be some flirting going on. Overall, Nick and Noel’s Christmas Playlist was a fun, engaging, and romantic read that is perfect for Christmastime!
Nick and Noel’s Christmas Playlist is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of October 5th 2021.
Will you be picking up Nick and Noel’s Christmas Playlist? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Press play on happily ever after in this charming, heartfelt holiday rom-com.
Nick Winters and Noel Carter have known each other their whole lives. After years of shared family holidays, working together on the Winters’ Christmas tree farm, and being each other’s safe haven, they wouldn’t dream of crossing the line from friends to something more….
But when Nick comes home for the holidays after serving overseas and finds that his long-term girlfriend has decided to get her stocking stuffed elsewhere, Noel is there to pick him up and show him that instead of a Blue Christmas he can still have a Wonderful Christmastime without his cheating ex.
A night on the town and an impulsive kiss later has Noel thinking that perhaps this year they’ll be rockin’ around the Christmas tree as a couple, but only if the ghost – er rather – girlfriend of Nick’s Christmas past doesn’t decide to haunt their holiday….
