The Christmas Countdown

Tell me a story... of finding your holiday spirit

The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy

Expected Publication date: October 22, 2024

Date read: July 12, 2024

All Callie wants for Christmas is to hibernate. She's still reeling from being dumped by her childhood sweetheart, and under no circumstances will she go home for the holidays considering her ex will be right next door with his new, perfect partner. Callie is officially in grinch mode, but her meddling sister, Anita, won’t let her give up on life, love, and Christmas quite so easily. So Anita stages a Christmas intervention for Callie with a homemade Advent calendar challenge—cheerful tasks to push Callie out of her comfort zone and into the holiday spirit, inspired by a childhood tradition. Callie reluctantly plays along, but when she comes face-to-face with a charming baker who just might be the spoonful of sugar she needs, her strict rules on love and the holidays are tested. As they strike a deal to do the activities together, could the twenty-four little doors on Callie’s Advent calendar not only open up one, but two closed-off hearts?

You know how sometimes, after you've had a long, stressful day, you just want to sit back with a hot chocolate and throw on the latest Hallmark Christmas Romance and unwind? Well, that's what this is, except in book form. 

There's nothing super complex in this story, and it's incredible predictable, and pretty cheesy (the two towns mentioned are Fallbrook and Pineville, which are just about as eye-rollingly Hallmark as you can get). And yet, it's also all pretty adorable and like a sweet little hug after a tough day. 

I liked both main characters a lot - they were both sweet and fun and I enjoyed Callie's clumsiness. Marco is just the perfect sweet guy who comes to her rescue, but isn't pretentious about it. The "villains" of the book - Callie's ex-boyfriend, Oliver, and her boss, Grant - are just as horrible as they need to be, but never feel truly over the top. (Grant's sexism made me so mad, though!). 

Overall, this is just a cute Hallmark Christmas romance that's an easy read for when you're feeling stressed or trying to get into the holiday spirit. Not the kind of book if you're looking for surprises or a lot of substance, just an enjoyable, predictable romance. Recommended for readers who love romance, and especially for those who look forward to Hallmark Christmas movie season every year. 

Rating: 4/5 stars

Content warning: sexism, gaslighting

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book