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If you need your yearly Hallmark movie read, here’s an option for you. 

This book has your typical rivals to lovers, city girl, and small-town boy tropes. Bella is from LA and works as a real estate developer. In order to secure her dream promotion, she needs to acquire a small Christmas-themed store in the town of Maple Falls. Of course, the owner’s grandson is the foil to her plans. Jesse knows he needs to sell the store for his grandfather, Clarence (of course), but is offended by the low offer Bella gives him. Bella starts with a lowball price to try and impress her boss, but the rejection of the sale blows up in her face. If she wants the store, she must give them what it’s worth and more. 

To settle the argument, Bella and Jesse, the owner’s grandson, decide to face one another in the Maple Falls Holiday Games, because that somehow makes sense? It’s silly but hey, it’s a Christmas novel. The winner gets to decide the price for the shop’s sale, and the other must agree to the terms. It’s silly, but it’s easy to overlook that when you know you’re reading a Christmas romance. 

This was about a 3.5 rounded up to a 4 for me. If you have no expectations going in, aside from reading a fine Holiday romance, you’ll enjoy it. If you think about the characters for a few minutes, you’ll find many holes and conflicting character beats. It’s a little too light on romance and a bit too heavy with the insta-love for my tastes, but Christmas lovers will be a fan of this one in the library. 

Title: The Christmas Wager
Author: Holly Cassidy
Format: Paperback
Pages: 350 ISBN: 9780593544068

Three Descriptors: Small-Town, Enemies to Lovers, Upbeat

Read Alikes: The Christmas Café by Eliza Evans
Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin
Snowed In for a Christmas by Jaqueline Snow
A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss
Wrapped With a Beau by Lillie Vale