The Christmas Wager

This is a heartwarming small-town holiday RomCom that has a Hallmark vibe and gives readers a comforting story that ticks off all the romance boxes. Written under the pen name of Canadian thriller author Hannah Mary McKinnon, the story has the enemies to lovers and big city/small town tropes, a couple you'll root for, a delightful small-town setting and its tight-knit community and the added tension of a local wintery competition. 

The romance is closed-door but sweet, and the author gives us some characters we'll love (Jesse's grandpa) and a couple of whom we'll enjoy hating. As someone from a Canadian small town, I enjoyed seeing the small-town community play an important role in the story and that Bella hailed from The Great White North. 

Note: the author is originally from the UK so I found it oh-so-charming that some UKisms slipped into the story ('rubbish', 'I nearly considered eating the lot' and 'it was daft' to name a few).

This is a comforting, easy-going romance that is charming with its beautiful snowy locale as it tells the story about family, friends, community and finding love in the most unexpected places. I'm predicting that there could be a follow-up featuring a romance between two very secondary characters we meet in this book.  

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Holly Cassidy

Genre: Christmas RomCom, Canadian

Type and Source: Trade Paperback, personal copy

Publisher: G.P Putnam's Sons

First Published: Sept 26, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: One rivalry. Eight days until Christmas. Let the holiday games begin.

When L.A.-based real estate developer Bella Ross arrives in the sleepy, mountain town of Maple Falls, she has one mission: to acquire the local failing Christmas shop, Always Noelle, securing the promotion of her dreams. Nothing can get in her way. Except the shop owner's stubborn grandson, Jesse Harrison.

Both refuse to budge, until an unlikely wager is struck: Bella and Jesse will compete in the Maple Falls Holiday Games, an annual tradition of eccentric feats of strength and skills. Winner decides the selling price. They'll give each other a run for their money, but as the competition heats up, Bella and Jesse's icy feelings toward each other begin to thaw. It'll take a Christmas miracle for them to admit there's a spark, but what if it's just another game?