This book has been hard to review because I left it feeling meh. Nothing was awful or done really badly that I would be able to point to, but nothing stood out or was really well done for me.

I understand where some of the conflict in the relationship comes from, but the wrap-up was 'ok,' where yes its handled, but I would have liked more. I also normally don't like when kids are involved in the building of the relationship, but in this circumstance, I also kind of get why that happened the way it did. Even though it took me out of the romance more than once. I also think the bet element was interesting, but it could have been utilized more. In this case, she was being freer as a mother and enjoying her time with her son, which is good, and it allowed her to be open to this relationship, also good. But that is it. And although what was done wasn't done badly, I do think it was a perfect opportunity to add to Rachel's arc outside of her being a mother and romantic partner.

So one important thing to note is that this is a very religiously based book, particularly the Christian faith. And although that itself is not why my review is so low, I do think it is a shock, as the blurb and the cover don't even make a nod to this religious aspect, despite it being so crucial to the characters, their motivations, and the plot itself. And because it is a core feature of the book, I really dislike that it is hidden in the marketing so much, and I think it is a detriment to the book's success, because the right audience will not find it as easily.

Now, I actually think the plot and the way the church and Christmas are approached are an interesting background for this story and these characters coming together. It just fell flat and at times felt forced. The same goes for the characters and the ways that they incorporate their faith in the dialogue and their choices. Which is less about how heavily it's mentioned, and more in the ways it is mentioned.

I feel like this is an ok starting point for a lot of things, and had promise, but it got overwhelmed by the religious aspects that the characters and the romance became weighed down and secondary to it. Ultimately, I don't even think the church and the character's faith need to be lessened, but additional context and work done with the relationship would go a long way in making this feel more fleshed out as a story and giving the characters a less caricatured/stereotyped feel.

This was a quick, fun holiday romance. There was a lot of heat and sass between our two main characters, and the author threw in some touching moments of understanding between the two of them.

I think there could be some improvements to the development of the relationship and how they get to being fake engaged. The big kind of set up of it all does lean into miscommunication, or more so just not communicating their feelings. So if that is something that bothers you it is worth keeping in mind before picking up this book.

This book had a lot of promise, but I felt like it lost steam in its plot the further we went along in the book. As it seemed to become more telling vs. showing, and once the book moved into her training, the plot, in ways, became disjointed.

As this is the first book in a series, I can almost excuse that as the author's attempt to really push the world and set up the major plot that the series will build on, but it just wasn't as successful for me. And I left it without a desire to continue with this series.

I do think that the general atmosphere and concepts play out well, creating a fantastical world for a young teen to hide in. Though the book does have some YA elements that are disliked by older audiences, like the chosen one who is automatically good at everything and put in a position over adults. I think, for the most part, it plays out ok in this, but there were a few notable eye-roll moments for me while reading.

This was a fun and cute holiday book that has the MC's finding love as they fake-date their way through Hanukkah and Christmas.

I don't know how I feel about the characters overall in this, because to me, many of them came across as flat and even stereotypical at times, though at other times, there was more emotional depth and nuance added to the characters. One example is Theo's PTSD. I really appreciated seeing this explored with compassion, though I do have questions/concerns about a few ways this is utilized in the book's conflict.

One thing I really, really did not like was them doing sexual things at the school. That is just a can of worms one should not open, and the consequences for getting caught are just too much. Plus, it's a school for tiny humans, not a college/university, so please keep it in your pants!

There are also parts of the plot that just don't make a ton of sense in how they are approached. Mostly with the ex's wedding. Like, don't get me wrong, I do get why one would go to an ex's wedding, but with all that is said about that relationship, how it ended, and the circumstances of this wedding, I think that arc is not super thought out in how it's wrapped up. Where I think a lot is sacrificed to end it off with a nice little positive bow.

And despite my complaints, I do think enough the good and the bad balanced out well enough that it's not a bad read. It just seems to struggle to find its footing and harmony between all the elements at play.