No-one Ever Has Sex on Christmas Day by Tracy Bloom

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

It's no secret to those that know me well that I'm not a huge fan of Christmas, and I never have been. This year, however, that sentiment has shifted. Maybe it's because I just got married, or maybe I've finally grown out of my grinchly ways. Regardless, this Christmas I'm actually excited about Christmas, not just the overall season. I wanted to make sure there were a few Christmas reads on my TBR this year, to fully make the most of my newfound holly jolly-ness.

No-one Ever Has Sex on Christmas Day is written Love Actually style, honing in on a few families and groups of friends that share connections with one another in some way, shape, or form. Main characters include married couples Katy and Ben, and Allison and Matthew, along with a wide variety of friends and family. I didn't realize until halfway through this book that it is actually part of a series, but that's a good sign because that means it functions great as a stand-alone as well.

Katy and Ben are all settled in for their perfect Christmas when things start to go awry. First Katy's mom demands to attend, then Katy's work life gets turned upside down by an unexpected job offer. Allison and Matthew are expecting their fourth baby, but their well-balanced life could get thrown off by a romance gone wrong. Similarly to Love Actually, the characters all end up together at an office Christmas party, then again at a school Nativity event. At the end of the day, despite all the chaos surrounding them, the group comes to realize that all you need is love.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm a huge fan of Love Actually so when I heard this book described that way I knew I would like it. That being said, it was almost TOO similar, even referencing the movie once or twice in the story itself, so that's where I'm knocking off a star. I would have liked to have seen more unique ideas, but overall this was a fun and fast Christmas read that really puts you in the spirit of the season. The characters were great, and the message was heart-warming and relevant, and I'm so glad I gave this book a chance!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Thanks to Netgalley for digital access to this fun seasonal read!

Christmas/Holiday TBR

I can't believe we're already into December and so close to the end of another year! I love this time of year, because it's so cozy and I feel like the rush of regular daily tasks slows down a bit. It's the perfect time of year to curl up in front of a roaring fire and tackle some good reads. I've complied my TBR for the holiday season and wanted to share it with you guys. While there aren't a ton of Christmas-themed books on here, they're all books I'm very excited about.

• My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories, edited by Stephanie Perkins: YES I KNOW this book came out forever ago and I still haven't gotten around to it. This time I will, I promise!

• No-one Ever Has Sex on Christmas Day by Tracy Bloom: This was described as similar to Love Actually, so as a huge fan of that movie I'm going to give it a go!

• The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor: This was my Book of the Month pick for December. I'm loving the thriller genre right now so I had to jump right into this one.

• Artemis by Andy Weir: This was last month's BOTM pick but I haven't gotten around to it yet. If it's anything like The Martian I'm going to love it.

• A Simplified Life by Emily Ley: As a planner girl, I love anything by Emily Ley. Going into the new year with a more simplified vision might be just what I need!

I'm sure I'll end up reading more than just these, but this is my starting point. I've already started two of these so I'm not worried about completing this list. What is on your TBR list for the holiday season?