i expected an enjoyable read and that's what i got.

there are some aspects i wish they expanded on more: hell being real, the other characters beside the mc and ml, their bonds/friendships with them, the human exchange student that went to hell???? it would've been good if they included a few lines throughout the story updating us on them.

but something that i absolutely LOVEEDDD about this book was the communication. during the first half, it wasn't great but understandably so - the characters were still getting to know each other. and i was expecting this miscommunication trope to be continue but to my pleasant surprise, that wasn't the case.

because their earnest honesty and direct conversations later on? chef's kiss. fucking standing ovation from me. the author deserves a medal of honour for that.

overall, while not the most engaging romantic relationship, twas super cute and i'm glad i read it! unfortunately, i don't naturally come across a lot of queer mlm stories written by queer men so i'm glad i got the chance to.

really loved this! honestly such a fun read, i love a good rivals-to-lovers story (which is DIFFERENT from enemies-to-lovers but alas people keep mistaking them)!!

very character-driven story though so if you were looking for a complex, intricate magical world and discovering more about that, or a fast-paced plot that keeps you on your toes, then i'd suggest you keep searching.

however, character-driven stories are like crack to me so i ate this up.

i was really enjoying this up until the last 3-4 chapters where i struggled a bit to continue - i liked the main pairing's banter and friendship but wasn't really into their romance so getting through them making sweet love to each other was a feat of strength.

but i could relate A LOT to our mc kris, and there were so many moments where i felt like i was being stripped bare and seen. so despite not enjoying it as much as the nightmare before kissmas, i felt more personally invested in kris's journey as someone who is also currently on that same path.

so here's a compilation of my favourite quotes. i don't think any of them are too spoilery in terms of the actual plot so i won't mark it as such, but be warned!

"See? I have purpose still. I have things to contribute. I have worth, goddamn it."

"I mean, I'm used to apologizing for my very existence a lot, but - sorry?"

"And I think that's where you're struggling, not knowing where to start with choosing stuff that's for you."

"None of the things I tried to do were supposed to make me happy. They were supposed to work."

"But I'm tired of being that way. I'm tired of wallowing in not knowing what I can do to be useful, to contribute, to matter. I'm tired of feeling like I'm bobbing along, waiting for something to give me purpose and make me happy, mercilessly at the whims of time and fate."

"What does being happy feel like? Not the ending. The after."

"Why do I have to wait for an ending to give me those feelings? Why can't I have any of that shit now?"

as i've mentioned before in another post halfway through my reading - this novel isn't just a simple rom-com. the concepts that it explores within the plot set the stage for a unique fantasy universe of the Holidays, and through Coal and Hex's budding relationship, we get a peek into the politics and mechanisms of that.

do i wish that was expanded on and we got to see more of that? yes. do i wish non-western holidays (i.e. lunar/chinese new year, eid, diwali, etc) were featured and discussed? also yes.

however, "write what you know", i guess? no but seriously, while i would love to read more of this where the universe and its nuances were fully-fleshed, i recognise that ultimately this was still meant to be a fun rom-com read. and in that, it succeeded!!! the author presented a story that delivered what was promised (a romance between the heirs of christmas and halloween, if a little rushed) and kept it engaging by incorporating unexpected elements within the plot that made the reading experience more refreshing!! so, kudos to her for that 🌟

and our mc Coal? god, what can i say about him. my first thought when we meet him in the opening chapters was "he's so whiny and annoying can i really get through this" but that quickly changed to:

he is SUCH a relatable character; with his anxieties, and insecurities, and humour as armour. immediately adding him to my kinlist hehe.

aside from the plot and premise, the writing itself was genuinely beautiful. its giving 𝙖𝙤3 𝙛𝙞𝙘 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙡𝙚, in the best possible way. this is the highest compliment i can give for writing, and she executed that gracefully.

all in all, really loved this and i'm so glad i decided to pick it up!!